● We’ve paid over N200 million, CMD says
● Medical students lament inadequate power supply
● They’re owing over N100 million, says EKEDC
Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has disconnected Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), over an outstanding electricity bill of N252 million.
Chief Medical Director (CMD) of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, in an interview with The Guardian, said that EKEDC presented a bill of N49 million in April, which was followed by N252 million for both institutions in May.
Adeyemo, who said that efforts were under way to settle the remaining outstanding bills and restore power, claimed that the hospital had paid over N200 million and is currently running on generators and inverters to ensure continued service delivery.
The CMD said: “We were on power plants for about six to seven years but the cost became unbearable as a teaching hospital. So, in March, we discontinued using plants and rejoined Eko DisCo.”
Meanwhile, an electronic memo circulating among the medical students and sighted by The Guardian expressed regret over the persistent problem.
The memo stated that the generator would operate from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the evenings and from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the morning with possible extensions, while the institution also expressed hope for a swift resolution to the current difficulties.
General Manager of Corporate Communications of the Eko Disco, Babatunde Lasaki, when contacted by The Guardian, confirmed that the institutions owed over N100 million.
He stated: “We have had a series of meetings with them. We have written letters because they were owing more than N200 million. They are sharing the bill between the two institutions. So, the College of Medicine paid its percentage, but LUTH is still owing over N100 million.
“This is a business venture. We paid for this power we are talking about. We bought it from the generating company. We have no choice than to disconnect them.”
