Power Restored to UCH. ABH, and Falase Remain Disconnected

After 104 days of darkness in UCH, power was restored to the hospital today. There should have been shouts of joy, celebration, and relief, but there aren’t. Nigerian youths, Nigerian medical students, residents of Alexander Brown Hall, and residents of Ayotunde Falase Hall are not happy.

The whole point of the protest held January 22, 2025, was to announce to Nigeria that darkness had prevailed over one of its best hospitals, and nothing was being done about it. It seemed to work. A ray of hope appeared in the form of the Hon. Minister for Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu, on February 10, 2025. That ray was surrounded by students, and his words resurrected a phantom creature known as Hope. One of his promises was that “Electricity supply would be restored to the clinical areas of the hospital within the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Twenty-four hours later, rumors spread: the clinical areas of the hospital apparently did not include ABH and Falase Hall. A joke. What, then, was the point of the protest? In  response to this rumour, UI'SU released a statement declaring that any attempt to reconnect the hospital without the hostels would lead to the shutdown of UCH itself. 

The fluorescent bulbs of Accident and Emergency shine bright. The once-dark halls of this dreary venue, where suffering festered in the shadows, are now lit. And yet, we feel no joy. Only the clinical areas have electricity. The hospital. The School of Nursing. But not ABH and Falase Hall. Not Odeku Library.

Those who protested are left twiddling their thumbs, asking themselves, What it was all for? But as it stands, if power remains disconnected from ABH and Falase by the end of today, another protest will likely erupt tomorrow, possibly leading to a hospital shutdown. Will this force the reconnection of the hostels? We can only wait with bated breath and watch. The fight is far from been over.

Dentatics Press