Oyo Govt To Connect UCH To State Power Grid Amid Energy Crisis

  IBADAN – The Oyo State Government has announced plans to connect the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, to its Independent Power Plant (IPP) to mitigate ongoing power supply challenges at the federal health facility. In a statement posted on its official social media handle, the state government acknowledged the hospital’s electricity woes and emphasised that, despite UCH being a federal institution, it intends to offer a medium-term solution through integration with the state’s power infrastructure. UCH, one of Nigeria’s foremost medical institutions, has struggled with erratic power supply in recent months, leading to disruptions in critical healthcare services. Reports from patients and hospital staff indicate that frequent blackouts have affected medical procedures, laboratory operations, and patient care The Oyo State Government’s intervention, though temporary, is expected to provide some relief to the hospital’s management and patients. The Independent Power Plant (IPP), which currently supplies energy to key state facilities, will be extended to UCH as part of the medium-term solution. However, officials have not disclosed a timeline for the implementation. While the federal government remains responsible for the hospital’s overall management and infrastructure, this move signals a growing trend of state governments stepping in to address local energy deficiencies affecting federal institutions. Patients and residents have welcomed the announcement, with many urging swift implementation to prevent further disruptions to medical services.

BREAKING: UCH Medical Students Protest 100 Days Of Power Outage

  Medical students of the University College Hospital, Ibadan in Oyo State, are currently protesting at the office of the Chief Medical Director of the institution over the non-availability of power and water. As the protest continues, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu and CMD, Jesse Otegbayo, are also holding a meeting with stakeholders at the Conference Room of the institution to fashion out a solution to the epileptic power supply. PUNCH Online reports that the UCH has been in darkness since October 2024, making over 100 days as of today (Monday). The students displayed placards with different inscriptions such as, “+100 Days of Darkness: Save UCH; Save ABH Hall; Save Falade Hall; Give Us Light; This Is Not How We Want To Live; Medical School Is Hard Enough- Give Us Light; All We Are Saying, Give Us Light among others. Speaking with PUNCH Online, a former President of the Students Union Government, University of Ibadan, Samson Samuel, and former Speaker of UI, Olamide Omotunde, who are medical students lamented, “We had had series of meetings with the management of UCH, but nothing was done to restore electricity in the halls.” Samuel said, “No light, no water. We shall continue this protest until our demands are met.” Omotunde stated, “We protested on January 26, 2025, to the State and Federal Secretariats, Agodi, Ibadan, with the hope that the management will restore it but up till now, nothing was done. And that’s why we decided after 100 days to protest over non-availability of power.”  

Ibadan Chiefs, ICPI, Others Condemn Prolonged Power Outage At UCH

  IBADAN – The traditional institution in Ibadanland, Chiefs, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), prominent sons and daughters of the ancient city, and other stakeholders has lamented unending power outrage at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. They alleged that many poor people were badly affected on daily basis as a result of power outage at critical units in the hospital, saying Ibadan people and entire people in the 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 outrage in the hospital. Recently, students of University of Ibadan (UI) also showed their grievances and protested over the power outrage at the hospital. A statement by ICPI Coordinator on behalf of the stakeholders charged government and concern authorities to wade in and save the hospital, which according to them was an heritage not only to Ibadan but entire southwest and Nigeria as a whole from total collapsing. The stakeholders noted that Ibadan people and entire Oyo state owned 90% of patients at UCH, saying how many Ibadan people or people from Oyo state will have to die before the needful is done. The statement reads, “We are inaundated with the ongoing power outage at UCH, our investigation revealed that UCH are helpless because IBEDC took them from Band B to Band A, how will an hospital that was not able to meet it’s financial requireme being in B and will be to pay now that it has been upgraded to band A? where will they get money to pay? “Their bill monthly was increased from N20m to N40m, and its now N99m per month, where would they see such money? Was the same bill giving to other teaching hospitals across the country, shouldn’t be a concession IBEDC should be doing for teaching hospitals like UCH considering it’s service delivery in health sector? “All effort of UCH management on the issue has been frustrated by IBEDC, for now, UCH didn’t have enough fund to go into alternative power supply like solar and others. “Can we say President Tinubu is not kind enough to Ibadan by giving us Ibadan son as Minister for 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 is 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’s 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.”

Patients Struggle At UCH, Gates Close As Strike Disrupts Services

  Following the seven day warning strike embarked on by Joint Health Workers Unions, JOHESU, patients at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan have appealed to government to negotiate with the Health Workers to end the Strike. The patients made the appeal while speaking with newsmen at the Hospital. Mr Matthew Ademola and Madam Aina Balogun said they couldn’t get medical attention at the Diagnosis centers as medical laboratory workers were not on ground to attend to them. It was observed that the entrance gate to some areas in the hospital were shut. In an interview, Chairman Joint Health Sector Unions, UCH, Mr Oladayo Olabampe said that the strike was only observed in Federal Health Institutions Mr Olabampe pointed out that their demands included the immediate upward review of CONHESS Salary as it was done to CONMESS in 2014, Tax Waiver on allowance, upward review of retirement age of health workers to 65 years and 70 years for consultant among others . Mr Olabampe who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals in Oyo State noted that their demands is over due and if government failed to respond to their demands, the union would embark on indefinite strike. The Seven day warning strike commenced on Saturday last week .