The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, presented a bill inflated by N88m to the University College Hospital, UCH, a civil rights group has claimed.
Besides, the UTILITIES CONSUMERS RIGHTS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE OF NIGERIA also accused the DisCo of disconnecting power supply to the 66 year-old hospital in contravention of regulations of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.
In a petition sent to NERC Chairman on Monday, the Principal Partner of the advocacy group, Mr Shadrack Akinbodunse alleged that an “overbilling of N88,343,889.96 was discovered between 2021 and 2024” in the demand notice sent to UCH by IBEDC.
The organisation also noted that “the recent tariff increase has revealed that UCH was wrongly placed on Band A billing despite not having the required hours of supply for such band.
The civil rights group said that part of this outstanding bill for which UCH was disconnected “is a carryover from Power Holding Company of Nigeria era and argued that “as you’re aware such monies belonged to Nigerian Electricity Liabilities Management Company and not Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.”
The group said IBEDC over reached itself by failing to understand that UCH comprises of three institutions -UCH as an hospital under the Federal Ministry of Health, College of Medicine which is a part of the University of lbadan under the Federal Ministry of Education and Hall of residence that is being occupied by workers of both institutions.
“IBEDC erred by disconnecting a life-saving institution, contrary to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Consumer Protection Regulation Chapter 2 section 25(2). The latest disconnection is the third disconnection in the month of March, 2024.
“This disconnection has affected the smooth running of UCH, thus adversely affecting life-saving equipments used in care of UCH’s patients while the hospital has recorded higher numbers of patient’s death since the disconnection”, the petition read.
The organisation also asked NERC to direct IBEDC to reconnect UCH without further delay and also stop the incessant disconnection; IBEDC should refund all the difference in overbilling as stated and make refunds on the wrong service reflective tariff and that the College of Medicine and the Hall of residence should be separately metered by IBEDC to stop the bulk billing on UCH.
Other request made by the organisation is that other parts of the College of Medicine that is having interface with UCH must be supplied with a prepaid meter.
“We advise that IBEDC should quickly reconnect UCH to stop unnecessary embarrassment to the hospital and avoid potential loss of lives of patients.
“We hereby appeal to you to quickly invite us for a meeting with lbadan Electricity Distribution Company on this matter in order to rescue the lives of Nigerians and to put a conclusive end to the matter” , the petition read.
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