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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA), Ebonyi State has raised the alarm over arbitrary electricity bills from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
The hospital said the company has been giving arbitrary bills to the hospital since January this year with N107 million for this December, which it can’t afford.
Director of Administration of the hospital, Azubuike Calistus Okonkwo, revealed this to journalists, at a press briefing. He described the arbitrary bills as disturbing and consistent upward trajectory.
“The Management of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AEFUTHA) wishes to draw the urgent attention of the general public, relevant authorities, and key stakeholders to the outrageous, unjustifiable, and unsustainable electricity bills issued to the hospital by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
“In December 2025, AEFUTHA was served with an electricity bill of ₦107,006,620.72 for a single billing cycle. This represents an unprecedented escalation in electricity charges and poses a grave threat to the sustainability of essential healthcare services provided by the hospital.
“A review of the hospital’s electricity billing pattern over the past 12 months reveals a disturbing and consistent upward trajectory. Bills issued by EEDC increased from ₦26.5 million, in January, to ₦71.5 million, in November, before surging to ₦107 million, in December, (500% increase in the bill). Notably, in 2023 and 2024, AEFUTHA’s monthly electricity bills were consistently below ₦20 million, making the current charges grossly disproportionate and difficult to justify.
“Since the inception of the current Chief Medical Director, Prof. Robinson Chukwudi Onoh, electricity charges to the hospital have continued to rise steadily. Despite this, hospital management has consistently met its obligations and ensured that payment was made in good faith to guarantee uninterrupted patient care and service delivery.
However, the magnitude of the December bill has reached a breaking point. If this trend continues unchecked, AEFUTHA risks paying over N1 billion annually on electricity bills alone. This is clearly unsustainable for a public tertiary health institution whose core mandate includes patient care, training, research, and public health service delivery.
“The management is also deeply concerned about the methodology behind the billing, particularly the high charges associated with unmetered accounts, and, hereby, demands an immediate review of the accuracy and transparency of EEDC’s billing system as it applies to the hospital.
“It is also important to place the December electricity bill in the proper context. In October 2025, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) embarked on industrial action, while on November 14, 2025, the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) commenced an indefinite strike.
“As a result of these industrial actions, hospital services and activities were significantly reduced, with many departments paralysed and overall energy consumption expected to be substantially lower during this period. Surprisingly, despite this marked reduction in hospital activities, AEFUTHA’s electricity bill jumped from ₦71,547,854.77, in November, to ₦107,006,620.72, in December.
“This outrageous increase raises serious questions about the basis upon which EEDC arrived at the tariff, especially in the face of reduced operations and lower electricity consumption within the hospital”, he stated.
He urged the EEDC to restore power to the hospital to save lives, stressing that any disruption of power endangers lives.
“It is important to emphasise that AEFUTHA is a life-saving institution. The hospital operates critical facilities that must function round-the-clock, including intensive care units, neonatal units, operating theatres, diagnostic and laboratory services.
“Any disruption in power supply or financial strangulation caused by excessive billing directly endangers lives. Health is an essential service, and lives lost due to power failure cannot be restored.
“AEFUTHA is a non-profit public health institution, willing and committed to paying fair and verifiable utility bills. However, bills of this magnitude are beyond the hospital’s capacity to sustain without compromising service delivery.
He implored relevant regulatory agencies,
Ebonyi State government, federal ministry of power, federal ministry of health and social welfare, and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene in the issue by reviewing the hospital’s tariff classification, auditing the billing system, and ensuring the adoption of a fair, transparent, and sustainable electricity tariff befitting a public tertiary healthcare institution.
Okonkwo appealed for a downward review of the hospital’s monthly electricity bill to less than ₦20 million, in line with historical billing patterns and a waiver on outstanding arrears, while reaffirming the hospital’s commitment to promptly settle all verified bills as and when due, going forward.
