The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, has made a passionate appeal to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to exercise patience till tomorrow to fulfill its promise of paying N52.4m outstanding electricity bill following the agreement that led to the facility’s reconnection to the national grid last Thursday.
In a letter dated, April 5, 2024 by the Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, in response to an earlier letter from the electricity company, threatening to withdraw its service if the hospital breach the agreement, Otegbayo said the deadline given to the hospital, which falls on a weekend, made it impossible to make the payment.
According to the letter from the IBEDC, signed by its Chief Key Accounts Officer, Johnson Tinuoye, the electricity company said the agreed amount from the outstanding is expected to be paid not later than 6:00pm on Saturday, April 6, 2024 as agreed.
“Be reminded that your April 2024 electricity bill will be out on Monday, April 8, 2024, which you are expected to pay in full, plus the N50m monthly repayment from the total outstanding debt not later than April 16, 2024.
“All the terms and conditions committed to are to be met for us to continue to serve the hospital, failure to which we would be left with no other choice than to withdraw our service again and reconnection will be done this time after the full payment of the total outstanding balance.”
But in his response, Otegbayo, who appreciated the action of the company for reconnecting electricity supply to the hospital, said the step has reawakened its activities.
“It has been noted that the hospital was reconnected to the grid on Thursday, April 4, based on the agreement that the balance of N52.4m from the N112.3m, representing 25 per cent of the total outstanding bill would be paid within 48 hours.
“It is in view of this that we are pleading for your kind understanding that tomorrow (yesterday) being Saturday, the hospital will not be able to make payment. However, we promise to pay on Monday, April 8, 2024.”
The hospital, also pleaded with the electricity company to exercise patience on the payment of the April bill and the N50m monthly repayment till April 30, 2024, to enable them have ample time to source for funds.
