Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday over an 82-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
UCH, a critical facility where UI medical students undergo training, has been grappling with a prolonged lack of electricity due to outstanding debts owed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The power supply was reportedly disconnected in March 2024 after the hospital failed to settle its electricity bills. This follows an earlier disconnection in November 2023 for similar reasons, leaving the hospital without power for an extended period.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing crisis, the UI Students’ Union (SU), led by President Bolaji Aweda, organized the demonstration. Speaking to journalists, Aweda highlighted the adverse impact of the situation on the students.
“We are protesting against this dire situation because our students are directly affected,” he said. “For 82 days, UCH has been without electricity due to its inability to pay outstanding bills to IBEDC. The company has made it clear that the power supply will not be restored until the debt is cleared.”
The students called for urgent intervention to resolve the issue, stressing the importance of electricity in sustaining the hospital’s operations and ensuring the smooth training of medical students.
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