Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc has said it was compelled to disconnect power supply to University of Ibadan College Hospital (UCH) due to an outstanding debt.
IBEDC’s Chief Key Accounts Officer, Johnson Tinuoye, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Ibadan, said that the amount owed the company by UCH at N400 million.
Tinuoye said that the drastic measure came after several attempts to engage with the hospital’s management regarding the substantial overdue balance, which had persisted for over six years had failed.
“Despite numerous written correspondences and multiple meetings, UCH management has displayed an uncooperative attitude toward addressing the outstanding debt.
“IBEDC’s fiduciary responsibility to its stakeholders and market operators necessitates timely and complete remittances, especially considering the liquidity crisis facing DISCOs.
“Unpaid electricity bills hinder DISCOs’ abilities to fulfill obligations to GENCOs and purchase gas for power generation, contributing to the nationwide issue of low power supply.
“It’s worth noting that UCH operates more than 70 diesel-generating sets, consuming diesel at 1,600 Naira per litre.
“This means they generate energy at 400 Naira per kilowatt, significantly higher than the tariff of 74 Naira per kilowatt that IBEDC sells to UCH.
“Additionally, IBEDC has provided infrastructure to ensure 20-24 hours of dedicated supply to UCH, yet they have refused to settle their outstanding debt or propose a workable repayment plan,” he said.
According to him, UCH is not the only teaching hospital within IBEDC’s franchise.
“Teaching hospitals in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and others in Ogun State promptly settle their bills.
“IBEDC questions why UCH differs in this regard,” he said.
Tinuoye emphasised the need for adhering to payment obligations, particularly amidst challenging economic conditions.
He further stated that National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has warned DISCOs of potential licence withdrawal for non-performance.
“We encourage all customers to pay for electricity consumption promptly to enable the company to meet its obligations effectively, provide reliable services and ensure the viability of the sector,” he said.
We didn’t owe IBEDC N495m electricity bill – UCH
University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, says it did not owe Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) N495 million bill, as being insinuated.
UCH’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs Funmilayo Adetuyibi, stated this in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan.
IBEDC had disconnected the power supply to UCH due to what it called accumulated bills of N495 million, thus throwing the facility into darkness.
Adetuyibi, however, said that it was not true that the hospital had an accumulated bill of N495million over the last three years.
She said that the present UCH administration, led by Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, assumed office on March 1, 2019 and inherited over N270 million as at Feb. 27, 2019, adding that it had since ensured the monthly payment of bills brought by IBEDC.
According to her, the UCH management has also been settling the backlog of bills inherited from previous administrations.
“This management has had meetings with the IBEDC management on several occasions.
“Aside that, a payment plan on how to offset the backlog of the outstanding debt has been forwarded to both the consultant of IBEDC and the regional head of IBEDC.
“This payment plan was rejected by IBEDC. They insisted that first payment of N250 million should be made within three months.
“This management’s catchphrase is “patients’ comfort and staff welfare.” In essence, the issue of power supply and water supply to the hospital are critical to our operations.
“While we can say that we have outstanding bills to settle with the IBEDC, the hospital management has left no stone unturned in our proactive approach in making sure our teeming patients have access to adequate medical care at all times,” she said.
Adetuyibi denied the report that the hospital usually spent N160 million on diesel on monthly basis, adding that only an average of N17 million was being expended on diesel per month.
She also said that UCH had never experienced 24-hour power supply from IBEDC, according to the records of the hospital’s internal audit department.
“The narrative of patients’ relations buying sachet water does not also arise. Even though the hospital does not have optimal water supply due to power outage, we rely on the generator to pump water.
“The hospital has only 45 generators. Out of these 45 generators, some are due for servicing while some are due for replacement,” she said.
Adetuyibi further stated that the hospital’s management had also made available solar inverter in some areas, including all out-patients’ clinics, Accident and Emergency Department, Endoscopy Suites, ECG Suites, Staff Clinic, Owena Dialysis Ward and Medical Microbiology Department, among others.
“As stated earlier, the contention we have with IBEDC is the old bill inherited by this current administration.
“This year, e have received a bill of N147 million. We paid N50 million in January 2024, N55 million in February 2024 and N45 million in March 2024, totalling N150 million” she said.
The public relations officer added that IBEDC was insisting that the hospital must pay the inherited bills, whereas it (UCH) had been settling the old bills along with current bills.
She said the management had appealed to the electricity distribution company on several occasions not to charge UCH on commercial rates because of the fact that it renders social services.
“But our appeals have not had the ears of the company.
“However, in order to mitigate the effect of power outages, the hospital has set up an energy committee.
“The committee is charged with the responsibility of raising funds for the payment of electricity bills, to have funds to provide solar-powered energy to other service areas in the hospital.
“Aside that, the energy committee is charged with finding lasting solution, in the short and long term, to the energy problem.
“We plead with well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations and the international community at large to come to the aid of the hospital.
“UCH is a national heritage; our collective legacy, and the onus of maintaining it lies on us all,” Adetuyibi said.
Come to our aid, we can’t work in darkness – UCH workers appeal
Workers of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, have deplored working in darkness and appealed to well meaning Nigerians and government at all levels to come to their aid.
They said this on Wednesday during a congress organised by Joint Action Committee (JAC), the umbrella body of all the unions in the hospital.
The congress had in attendance members of Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and others.
The JAC Chairman, Mr Oludayo Olabampe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the workers had been working without light since March 19.
The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) disconnected the UCH power supply over alleged accumulated indebtedness.
Olabampe urged senators, government at all levels, well meaning Nigerians and the Oyo State government to urgently intervene in the issue.
“A whole UCH not having light for weeks is unheard of. We need the help of all people because this has gone beyond UCH.
“This will be the third time IBEDC will disconnect us, throwing us into total darkness.
“It is not easy doing our work in darkness, it has been like this since March 19 and they insist that UCH should pay hundreds of millions before restoring the light.
“I don’t know where UCH will get such money from; UCH is not a profit making organisation.
“So we call on even Oyo State governor, Gov. Makinde should please come to our aid.
“We love him, voted him in and now we really need his help,” he said.
Olabampe emphasised that if power was not restored by Tuesday, April 2, the unions will be forced to direct their members to reduce their working time.
“The working time will now be between the hours of 8. 00 a.m. and 4. 00 p.m., no shift or duty; though on a good day the hospital runs 24 hours.
“But you can’t say you are on duty without light, doing what? We can’t continue to work in darkness. It’s very risky and dangerous for us to be working without light.
“We have also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the UCH management starting from yesterday, March 26. If after the 14 days, power is not restored, we will embark on seven days warning strike.
“So we call on government, minister of power, health and all to come to our aide, so that normalcy will return to UCH, because leaving us like this is seriously going to affect lives, ” he said.
Meanwhile, the UCH management has assured the staff, patients and public that everything is being done to have power supply restored to the hospital.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Abiodun Adeoye, told NAN that the management had opened discussion with IBEDC, and had also written to the Federal Ministry of Health for special interventions.
He added that the ministry of Health had also communicated to the ministry of power so the two ministries are doing their best to find a holistic solution to it.
“On our own part here, we have put inverter in some critical areas such as clinics and wards.
“We have generator dedicated to power the theatre, ICU and labour rooms.
“Also, the management constituted an Energy Committee led by Dr Obaro Michael to look into the short term and long term solutions to energy issues in the hospital.
“We feel the pain this might be causing, but we are not folding our hands and watching,” he said.