University of Ibadan students yesterday staged a massive protest in Ibadan, Oyo State, over an 82-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH).
The demonstration, which disrupted socio-economic activities and caused traffic gridlock, was aimed at drawing government attention to the prolonged blackout caused by a dispute between the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and UCH over unpaid electricity bills.
The students, carrying placards with messages like “Restore Our Electricity, We Are Suffering,” marched peacefully from the UCH main gate through Total Garden to the State Secretariat in Agodi, chanting solidarity songs to express their grievances.
Speaking on the hardship faced by students at UCH, Bolaji Aweda, President of the University of Ibadan’s Students’ Union Government (SUG), said, “We are protesting against what is happening. And, of course, our students are affected. For 82 days, there has been no light at UCH, and this is due to the inability of UCH to pay its electricity bill to IBEDC. IBEDC has demanded that UCH settle its debt before they will restore power.”
Aweda explained that students residing in Alexander Brown Hall and Ayodele Falase Postgraduate Hall had been severely affected by the lack of electricity and water, which had disrupted their studies and taken a toll on their health. “We have passed through hardship due to this issue,” he added.
At the State Secretariat, the protesters submitted a letter to Governor Seyi Makinde through his Executive Assistant on Security, Mr. Sunday Odukoya. Addressing the students, Odukoya commended their peaceful approach and assured them that their concerns would be relayed to the governor for action.
Security personnel from the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were present throughout the protest to maintain order.
