UI medical students protest halls’ exemption from restored power to UCH

Students of the University of Ibadan (UI) at the undergraduate Alexander Brown Hall and postgraduate Ayodele Falase Hall have taken to the main roads of the University College Hospital (UCH) to protest their exemption from the electricity restored to the hospital following a blackout that lasted more than 100 days.

The protest was, however, peaceful though security personnel were on the ground to prevent disorder. The aggrieved students, who were clad in black clothes, chanted solidarity songs and barricaded Queens Elizabeth Road linking Mokola and Gate.

President of the Students Union Government (SUG), University of Ibadan, Bolaji Aweda, said the protest was due to the deliberate failure to supply power to the medical students’ hall.

Aweda said that during the visit of the Minister of Power to the hospital, he gave an assurance that the power supply would be restored within 48 hours, but the students were surprised when power was disconnected from some places, including the medical students’ hostel.

Also, the students’ leader and House Secretary, Daniel Elemide, said: “We are here to protest the blackout for over 100 days. Power has been connected to the UCH complex but our hostels, Ayo Falase and Alexandra Brown Halls, have not been connected. We will continue with the protest until power is restored to the hostels.”

However, a female student of the institution expressed displeasure with the disconnection of power supply from their hostels, stressing that it would affect her education and personal hygiene.

In the same vein, a post-graduate student at the College of Medicine, Samuel Ojo, appealed to the management of the university and the UCH to quickly resolve and restore power supply to their hostels.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor, Victor Olojede, said the issue of epileptic power supply at the UCH is an exclusive matter that requires the Federal Government’s intervention.

He, therefore, appealed to the Minister of Power and concerned authorities to ensure the power supply issue is resolved and light restored to students’ halls of residence before it escalates beyond its present state.