AEFUTHA Raises Concern Over ₦107m December Electricity Bill
Nkechinyere Ewa
The Management of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AEFUTHA), has expressed concern over what it described as outrageous and unsustainable electricity bills issued to the hospital by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Wednesday, the Director of Administration, Mr. Azubuike Okonkwo, said AEFUTHA received an electricity bill of ₦107,006,620.72 for December 2025, describing it as an unprecedented escalation that threatens the sustainability of healthcare services at the tertiary health institution.
Okonkwo said a review of the hospital’s electricity bills over the last 12 months showed a steady rise from ₦26.5 million in January to ₦71.5 million in November, before jumping to ₦107 million in December. He noted that in 2023 and 2024, the hospital’s monthly electricity bills were consistently below ₦20 million, making the current charges grossly disproportionate and difficult to justify.
He explained that since the assumption of office of the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Robinson Chukwudi Onoh, electricity charges to the hospital have continued to rise, although management had consistently paid its bills in good faith to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
According to him, the December bill has reached a breaking point, warning that if the trend continues, AEFUTHA could spend over ₦1 billion annually on electricity alone, a situation he said is unsustainable for a public tertiary health institution.
The hospital also raised concern over the billing methodology, particularly the continued use of estimated billing on unmetered accounts, and called for an urgent review of the accuracy and transparency of EEDC’s billing system.
Okonkwo further noted that the spike in the December bill occurred despite reduced hospital activities following industrial actions by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in October 2025 and the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), which commenced an indefinite strike on November 14, 2025.
He stressed that AEFUTHA is a life-saving institution with critical units such as intensive care, neonatal wards, operating theatres, laboratories and diagnostic services that require uninterrupted power supply, adding that excessive billing or power disruption could endanger lives.
The management reaffirmed that AEFUTHA is a non-profit public health institution committed to paying fair and verifiable utility bills but said the current charges are beyond its capacity without compromising service delivery.
AEFUTHA therefore called on EEDC, relevant regulatory agencies, the Ebonyi State Government, the Federal Ministry of Power, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and other concerned authorities to urgently intervene by reviewing the hospital’s tariff classification, auditing the billing system and adopting a fair and sustainable electricity tariff.
The hospital also appealed for a downward review of its monthly electricity bill to less than ₦20 million, in line with historical billing patterns, as well as a waiver on outstanding arrears, while reaffirming its commitment to settle all verified bills promptly.
