….says hospital owes company 2 months unpaid bills
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) has justified the disconnection of power supply to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe (FTHG), citing unpaid electricity bills running into hundreds of millions of naira.
Reacting to the controversy, JEDC’s Gombe Head of Corporate Services, Musa Abdullahi, said the hospital had defaulted in payment for two consecutive months, despite being a high-demand customer.
“The issue is not peculiar to JEDC. Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, is a massive demand customer; it is a hospital,” Abdullahi said. “They consumed about ₦42 million in October and ₦32.5 million in November, but no payment was made.”
He explained that electricity consumption dropped in November due to a strike by resident doctors, but stressed that this did not absolve the hospital of its financial obligations.
“Nothing was paid in October and November. They have outstanding arrears of ₦346 million. We are not even talking about the total outstanding, but the two months of non-payment,” he said.
Abdullahi added that the hospital is classified under Band A as a business entity, insisting that the company acted in line with regulatory directives.
“We know it’s a hospital, but we are a business entity. We cannot be Father Christmas,” he said. “The disconnection was carried out based on directives.”
However, the action has drawn sharp criticism from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which on Friday issued a 78-hour ultimatum to JEDC to restore electricity to the hospital.
Speaking at a press briefing, the Financial Secretary of NANS Zone E, Muhammad Garba, described the disconnection as “reckless and unjustifiable,” warning that it poses serious risks to patients and the wider Gombe community.
“This disconnection is not only irresponsible but dangerous,” Garba said. “It disrupts critical medical services, endangers patient care, and threatens lives.”
He noted that FTH Gombe has recently recorded significant improvements as part of reforms and infrastructure upgrades aimed at meeting international healthcare standards.
“The hospital management has shown strong commitment to transparency, modernization, and quality service delivery,” he said. “No external body should undermine these achievements through arbitrary actions.”
NANS faulted JEDC for what it called a lack of sensitivity, arguing that hospitals and educational institutions should not be treated purely as revenue sources.
“Hospitals and schools are essential social service institutions,” Garba said. “There are alternative ways to resolve billing issues without putting innocent lives at risk.”
The students’ body called on the Gombe State Government to urgently intervene by engaging the Federal Ministry of Power, the Federal Ministry of Health, and relevant security agencies to ensure immediate reconnection.
NANS also warned that failure to restore power within the 78-hour window would lead to mass student mobilisation and other lawful actions.
“If power is not restored, we will convene a broad coalition of students and civil society partners to demand accountability,” Garba warned. “The lives and safety of Nigerians are non-negotiable.”
