University of Ibadan Medical Students studying at the University College Hospital (UCH) on Thursday staged a protest against the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) for disconnecting their halls of residence.
The students, carrying placards, shut down the entrance gate of the hospital, causing heavy traffic around the area, and insisted that the protest would continue until their hostel was reconnected.
Placards carried by the students bore inscriptions such as “Enough is enough,” “IBEDC give us light,” “The present development is unacceptable,” “We have been in darkness for the past 105 days,” and “For how long are we going to continue in this situation?”
Others read: “The government is making things difficult for us,” “We are studying in darkness, and the public will expect something from us,” and “After paying so much in tuition fees, we are still being subjected to hardship. This is a denial of studentship rights,” among others.
The Nation reports that the distribution company restored power to the facility on Wednesday following a tripartite meeting between the management of IBEDC and UCH, facilitated by the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
The IBEDC agreed to restore power to UCH within 24 to 48 hours after the meeting, a promise fulfilled when power was restored to the clinical areas of the facility on Wednesday evening. However, only the clinical area received power, leaving residential and commercial areas without electricity.
-Thenation
