An Akure Based Medical doctor, Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, has warned that lives could be lost unnecessarily if electricity supply is not restored across the four states covered by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) as soon as possible.
Dr Ikubese, a former presidential aspirant, raised the alarm in a video posted on Facebook , following a strike by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) that had left Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta states in darkness for more than 24 hours.
He warned that the prolonged blackout could endanger patients dependent on electricity-powered life-support equipment, raising the prospect of mass casualties if power was not restored before the end of the day.
The Sckye Hospital chief executive appealed to the Federal Government, the governments of the four affected states and BEDC management to urgently engage the striking union and resolve the dispute to prevent avoidable deaths.
He also highlighted the added challenge posed by the rainy season, explaining that persistent rainfall could limit the ability of healthcare facilities relying on solar energy to generate sufficient electricity.
Dr. Ikubese urged all relevant parties to treat the situation as an emergency and reach an agreement with the union without further delay, stressing the need to restore power in the interest of patients and other vulnerable Nigerians.
The strike has raised concerns over the disruption of essential services, particularly healthcare delivery, where reliable electricity is critical to operating medical equipment and sustaining life-support systems.
