The Management of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, has raised an alarm over what it described as an outrageous power billing, running to ₦107 million electricity bill issued by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for December 2025 alone, warning that the escalating tariffs threaten the survival of essential health services.
Azubuike Okonkwo, Director of Administration, while speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, on Wednesday, said the December power billing, represents an unprecedented surge, especially against the backdrop of reduced hospital activities caused by industrial actions by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU).
According to him, AEFUTHA’s electricity bills rose steadily from ₦26.5 million in January to ₦71.5 million in November, before jumping by about 30% to ₦107 million in December.
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He noted that in 2023 and 2024, the hospital’s monthly bills were consistently below ₦20 million, making the current charges “grossly disproportionate and unjustifiable.”
Okonkwo expressed concern that most of the hospital’s transformers are unmetered, raising serious questions about the transparency and accuracy of the billing process. He warned that if the trend continues, the hospital could spend over ₦1 billion annually on electricity alone.
He stressed that AEFUTHA, as a non-profit, life-saving institution with critical units operating round-the-clock, cannot sustain such costs without compromising patient care.
He therefore called on EEDC, regulatory agencies, the Ebonyi State Government, and relevant Federal Ministries to urgently intervene, review the hospital’s tariff classification, audit the billing system, and ensure fair and verifiable charges.
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Also speaking, the Head of Nursing Services, said the power disconnection had severely affected service delivery, especially during the festive period, forcing nurses to rely on rechargeable lamps at night and putting patients’ lives at risk.
AEFUTHA appealed for immediate reconnection to the national grid, installation of prepaid meters, a downward review of its monthly bill to less than ₦20 million, and a waiver on outstanding arrears, while reaffirming its commitment to pay all verified bills promptly.
