UI ERC CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF POWER AND REGULAR SUPPLY AT UCH (Ibadan)
ERC hails UCH protest by Students Union and calls for similar action in UI to demand better welfare condition before second semester exams fully begins
The Education Rights Campaign, ERC, University of Ibadan (UI) branch welcomes the decision by the Bolaji Aweda leadership of the Students’ Union to organize a protest at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan on Wednesday, 23rd January, 2025 over a lingering crisis of power outage within the hospital. The protest is long overdue given the scale of devastating consequences of the persistent blackout on the condition of both students and workers. It will be recalled that UCH as a teaching hospital offers both medical services and academic activities. Unfortunately, many of these critical services have either been suspended or scaled back within the hospital, putting patients live at risk and engendering poor living and learning conditions for students, as a result of the incessant blackout. The working conditions, which have been extremely challenging, has either led to burnout or huge decline in the morale of the health professionals and academics in the institution. Water supply and sanitation system are also greatly affected, creating environment poised for infection.
The ERC condemns these appalling conditions in UCH and shall be ready to identify with every democratic means and effort to force the reversal of the situation. However, it is important to state that the lingering crisis in UCH, Ibadan, is part of a broader neglect of students’ welfare and the failure of the past and present administrations of the University of Ibadan to provide a decent condition for mass of students and workers within the university. Despite, the recent hike in school fees including the introduction of some obnoxious fees, electricity and water supplies across halls of residence in the university have remained epileptic, something which has worsened the condition of certain facilities like toilet, bathroom and lecture rooms. The ERC finds this so disturbing and worrisome given the inevitable consequence this will have on both the academic performance and health condition of the mass of students on campus especially at this critical period when the second semester exam is set to fully begin.
Conducting and writing exams under these abysmal conditions, coupled with a chaotic academic calendar, will inevitably have a devastating effect on students’ mental and physical well-being. The immense pressure can lead to increased stress, anxiety and depression, compromising students’ overall health. It is in the effort to avert this kind of possible situation we urge the Aweda-led Student Union to convene an emergency congress, involving students from both the main campus and UCH, to democratically agree on a day to have a peaceful march of mass of the student to the office of the Vice Chancellor specifically to demand an improvement in the welfare condition on campus before the second semester examination fully commences. It is our opinion that the congress can equally be used to commence discussion over the election for a new leadership of the Students’ Union.
Nnamdi Ochi
ERC UI Branch Secretary
If you agree with this statement and you will like to join and help to build ERC, you can email us at [email protected]