Students of the College of Medicine at the University College Hospital (UCH), staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday over a prolonged power outage that has persisted for 82 days.
The demonstration, which began at 7:00 a.m., was supported by the Student’s Union (SU) of the University of Ibadan (UI).
Bolaji Aweda, the SU president, explained that the protest followed the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the management of both UI and UCH.
He alleged that unresolved disputes among stakeholders were to blame for the blackout.
“Our demand is the immediate restoration of power to UCH and other hospitals facing similar challenges,” Aweda said.
He further called for the implementation of a 50% electricity tariff discount announced by the Ministry of Power in August 2024, as well as broader reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
“If UCH, the foremost healthcare institution in Nigeria, is this bad, one can only imagine the condition of other health facilities across the country,” Aweda remarked.
Tobiloba Samuel, the immediate past SU president, criticized the lack of action despite numerous consultations with the management of UCH and UI.
“The new power sector policy has made electricity unaffordable for educational and health institutions,” Samuel said, adding that the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) demanded half of the ₦3.78 million debt owed by UCH before reconnection.
Samuel called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders to intervene and prevent a total collapse of essential services in institutions like UCH.
Students, dressed in black tops, marched peacefully from UCH to the University of Ibadan.
Security personnel were present to maintain order, but no representatives from UCH management addressed the protesters.
The Chairman of UCH’s Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Oladayo Olabampe, claimed no formal union at UCH was involved in the protest.
“The organizers have no clear identity,” he said, while acknowledging the student’s concerns.
The students urged the Federal Government to address the systemic issues affecting Nigeria’s education and health sectors, ensuring that institutions like UCH do not continue to operate under such dire conditions.
NAN
