High Electricity Bills Threaten Nigeria’s Medical Research Activities

The nation’s medical research activities may become grounded if an Electricity Disconnection rift between the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) is not resolved promptly.

The rift bother on an unsettled N89 million power consumption bill owed EKEDC by NIOMR, and the distribution company threatens power disconnection should the institute refuse to pay.

Director-General of NIMR, Professor John Obafunwa sees the whole issue as a deliberate attempt by the EKEDC to frustrate medical research activities.

Speaking during NIMR;s monthly briefing yesterday, he stated that monthly electricity bills from EKEDC have ranged between N44 million and N52 million despite what he described as under 10 hours of actual daily electricity supply, and that in fact, N52m was for March alone.

“We are not a commercial enterprise.

“We’re not a university collecting school fees.

“We don’t have the capacity to generate income like tertiary hospitals.

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“We’re a research institute, yet, being billed as if we’re running a manufacturing plant.”

The DG also wondered why the DISCO has not deemed it fit to install a dedicated electricity meter on the premises despite its necessity.

“Ask them: Why does NIMR not have a dedicated meter on its premises? Why are we being billed blindly?”

“For most of us, we’ve been here a couple of times, and we’re probably getting more and more familiar with what’s going on in NIMR and the relevance of NIMR to our nation.

“But I still consider this a deliberate attempt to frustrate the work we are doing here” .”

He said there had been repeated letters, visits, and even direct appeals to the company’s management, but that EKEDC had denied NIMR of a functioning electricity meter for years, but prefers the electricity disconnection option,

“You can’t put a meter in your backyard and be giving us figures,” he said, in reference to EKEDC’s claim that NIMR’s meter is located at its Jibowu office.

Informing that NIMR’s researches are donour- driven, composed of highly sensitive biological samples, temperature-dependent reagents, and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment , he underscored the necessity of regular electricity supply.

“Each time we shut down power, those samples are at risk.

“These are not things you can replace easily.

“We’ve had to shut down electricity in the residential quarters.

“Power is cut at 9 a.m. and not restored until 4 p.m. We cannot continue like this” , Professor Obafunwa stated.