A group of young professionals, under the banner of Legacy Stars of Ibadan (LSI), has called on the federal government to investigate the management of the University College Hospital (UCH) over the past decade, citing ongoing power outages at the hospital.
The group, an affiliate of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), issued the statement following their monthly meeting at Ibadan House, Oke Aremo, on December 1, 2024. In the statement, signed by LSI President, Mogaji Saheed Oyewale, and Secretary, Barrister Kazeem Oladepo, the group expressed concern over the hospital’s disconnection from the power grid due to unpaid debts to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
UCH, a key tertiary health institution in Ibadan, has faced repeated electricity disruptions in recent months. Power was cut off in March and again in November 2024, with IBEDC citing outstanding debts as the reason for the disconnections.
LSI members emphasized the detrimental impact these outages are having on hospital operations, particularly on patient care. “When there is no light, major things that should be done will not be done,” the group stated. They highlighted that many patients in need of medical attention have been unable to receive care, worsening health outcomes in the region.
The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, to intervene and probe the management of UCH to address the ongoing power crisis. “UCH as a tertiary health institution should not be in this sorry condition,” the statement concluded, calling for urgent action to resolve the issue and ensure that the hospital can continue providing essential healthcare services.
This call for investigation follows ongoing concerns about the hospital’s management and the broader challenges facing the health sector in Nigeria.
