The traditional institution in Ibadanland, Chiefs, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), prominent sons and daughters of the ancient city and other stakeholders have lamented the unending power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
They claimed that many poor people were badly affected on daily basis as a result of power outage at critical units in the hospital, saying the people of Ibadan and the entire state are not happy with the situation.
Recall that some patients at the hospital few months ago protested inadequate healthcare delivery as a result of power outage in the hospital.
Recently, students of the University of Ibadan (UI) also showed their grievances as they protested over the power outage at the hospital.
ICPI Coordinator, on behalf of the stakeholders, charged government and concerned authorities to wade in and save the hospital from total collapse. They noted that UCH is an heritage of not only Ibadan but the entire South-West and Nigeria.
The stakeholders noted that Ibadan people and entire Oyo State are related to 90 per cent of patients at UCH, saying how many Ibadan people or people from the state will have to die before the needful is done.
“We are inundated with the ongoing power outage at UCH. Our investigation revealed that the UCH Management is helpless because IBEDC took them from Band B to Band A.
“How will an hospital that was not able to meet its financial requirement, being in Band B be able to pay now that it has been upgraded to Band A? Where will they get money to pay?
“Their bill monthly was increased from ₦20m to ₦40m, and its now ₦99m per month. Where would they see such money?
“Was the same bill given to other teaching hospitals across the country? Shouldn’t there be a concession IBEDC should be doing for teaching hospitals like UCH considering its service delivery in health sector?
“All effort of UCH management on the issue has been frustrated by INES. For now, UCH didn’t have enough fund to go into alternative power supply like solar and others.
“Can we say President Bola Tinubu is not kind enough to Ibadan by giving us Ibadan son, Bayo Adelabu, as Minister of Power?
“Adelabu said he is making plan to savage this issues. How many people will have to die as a result of power outage at critical section of UCH?
“Where are our political office holders in this matter? UCH has written several letters to the governor of the state, to Federal Government and management of IBEDC on the issue to no avail.
“The management has contacted the indigenous group like Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) and other pressure groups, yet no result.
“When will the Independent Power Project (IPP) by the state government take effect? How many people will have to die before the magic from the Federal Ministry of Power begin?
“Let IBEDC restore the light immediately. They shouldn’t allow poor people to die. Our leaders and politicians know how to run abroad to seek for medical care whenever the need arises.
“Ibadan people are not happy, Mogajis are not happy, poor people are dying on daily basis, power must be restore to UCH now unconditionally,” the stakeholders stated in the statement.
