It is unfortunate that the APC is so shameless that it is thumping its chest on the issue of UCH-IBEDC imbroglio instead of covering its face in shame.
But we are not surprised because APC will play politics with anything, even the agony and pains of the people they were elected to serve.
The fact is that the problem at UCH was not caused by the Oyo State Government. Rather, it was due to the failure of the Federal Government to live up to its promise of subsidizing cost of electricity to hospitals.
Last year August, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, publicly declared that the Federal Government would subsidise electricity in teaching hospitals following the categorization of electricity users into bands.
That was six months ago. The question to ask is, has the Federal Government fulfilled its promise? So, why should the APC now choose to blame Oyo State Government for a problem created by the insensitivity of the Federal Government? Had the Federal Government fulfilled its promise of subsidizing its own institution as it promised would the UCH be in this state?
Now, shall we ask the APC that after the Minister has intervened in the UCH-IBEDC face off, will he also go to Lagos to resolve the issue between LUTH and Eko Disco should there be a problem, or go to Maiduguri to plead with the electricity distribution company not to disconnect University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital?
Come on, governance is a much more serious business than that. Governance is for serious-minded people, not clowns. Nigeria surely deserves better than these jesters who are just junketing all over the place glamorizing common problems instead of the Royal 24th and the zeeof thinking out of the box to get permanent solutions to them.
In Oyo State, we don’t paper over the cracks; we go to the roots of issues to get permanent solutions.
Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju,
Special Adviser on Media to Oyo State Governor
February 11, 2025
