Extended Report: “We have resolved with IBEDC to restore UCH and its environment to the National Grid within 24-48 hours” – Honorable Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu

Following a closed-door meeting with the Management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and Managing Director, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, the Minister of Power, Honorable Adebayo Adelabu, has promised that power will be restored to the Hospital between 24 to 48 hours.

This was stated in a Press Conference, addressing protesting students and concerned citizens. He added that the reason for the time frame was to ensure proper reconnection and pleaded with students to bear with the Government and understand the situation.

Prior to his address, there were comments from the Students’ Union President, Aweda Bolaji, who decried the situation. Speaking at the UCH Central Foyer, he said, “Honourable Minister, you are standing before the presence of the 36,000 UI Students. We are here to register our displeasure and ask why you have decided to do this to the heritage of Ibadan. The greatest medical institution in Nigeria has experienced blackout for over 101 Days.” He added, “What we want is: 1. Immediate restoration of power to UCH. 2. Immediate restoration of the 50% tariff you promised last year. 3. Immediate reforms”

This was accompanied by a statement from the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Prof Jesse Otegbayo, who commended the UI students for their demonstration. He said, “We are glad to see that you are here to see the Honorable Minister who has been very kind to leave his office in Abuja to come and address us, all to find an immediate solution to the problem on here. We have agreed on certain things which we will let you know now. There are some things beyond the power of the Management. All those things to solve the problem are what we have taken care of today”.

Afterward, the IBEDC Managing Director assured students of an agreement in place which the Minister expanded on.

“That we have decided to come means we want a long-term solution. The [UI SU] President mentioned that I’m from this town [Ibadan]. Do you think I will be happy when the premier hospital is this way?“, he began. He added that other teaching hospitals like the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH) are in similar situations.

With regard to the course of action, he disclosed, “This is not the first time we have intervened. This time, we want a long-term solution. Let me summarise by letting you know:

1. We have resolved with IBEDC to restore UCH and its environment to the National Grid within 24-48 hours. The time is to ensure they take the necessary precautions.

2. We have to do a proper circulation to identify who uses what power. UCH may seem like a single territory but there are multiple independent power consumers. College of Medicine, nothing less than six banks, pharmacies, Falase, ABH, Residential areas. Those are the root causes and we must separate them. We have bought a new transformer so we can determine UCH’s own power consumption. Should we pay for business centers? By the time we separate it, everybody will pay for what they consume. This problem is not from FG, we are just intervening between service provider, IBEDC, and Customer, UCH.

3. We have agreed to introduce a solar-powered mini-grid for UCH and UI. Some other places are already using this. It will be completed this year. Just be patient with us. The solar-powered mini-grid will not take less than 10 months to one year to implement. Please bear with us.”

In response to this, students demanded further details and specifics on the power restoration, questions that went unclarified. It remains to be seen how much of the promises are followed through.