…NERC implores UCH to ensure 100 percent monthly payment
OpeOluwani Akintayo
26 September 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, has dragged the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, arbitration panel over N217 million indebtedness.
Mr. Bamidele Falade, the Manager, Business Hub Commercial of IBEDC, told the NERC panel sitting in Ibadan that the management decided to involve third-party intervention because of the huge debts owed the company.
Falade said that the company had appealed to the management of UCH on why they should pay the outstanding debt of N217 million, to no avail.
According to him, the company is constrained in disconnecting electricity supply to the hospital due to the services it renders but the hospital has ignored paying bills despite several dialogues and appeal.
“The huge outstanding debt is affecting our operations. UCH is the only hospital that has refused to pay the electricity debt among the hospitals within our franchise areas.
“We urge NERC as an independent arbitration to assist in imploring the UCH management to pay,” he said.
Falade said that the hospital, which monthly bill was between N20 million and N24 million, enjoys 22-hour power supply daily.
”If we have the money they owe us, we will be comfortable. It will strengthen our operations.
“We appeal to the commission panel to instruct the UCH management to give definite timeline for the payment of the debt,” Falade said.
