The University of Ibadan Students' Union, led by Aweda Bolaji, has issued an urgent open letter to the Nigerian Federal Government, expressing grave concern over the ongoing power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan.
The letter, posted on the Union’s official X handle, demands immediate government intervention in the matter, which has left critical services at UCH in jeopardy for more than two months.
"We find it deeply disconcerting that UCH has experienced a blackout for over two consecutive months, leaving critical departments and life-saving services in a dire state" the statement reads.
The Student Union attributes the blackout to the astronomical increase in electricity costs following price reforms introduced by the Ministry of Power in April 2024. They argue that the policy disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable, and is crippling essential healthcare institutions like UCH.
The letter gives the Federal government a 7-day ultimatum to address the issue, warning of protests if no action is taken.
"As such, we give the Federal Government a 7-day ultimatum to address these pressing issue. Failure to act within the stipulated time will leave us with no option but to mobilize and protest against this continuous neglect by the Government" the letter states.
The Union emphasizes the need for immediate intervention to prevent further deterioration of healthcare services at UCH. The letter also emphasizes that access to standard healthcare should not be commercialized and must remain within the reach of common man.
