The Federal Government (FG) has approved a 50 per cent subsidy for the electricity consumption in public hospitals across the nation. This development followed a promised by Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, that the FG would subsidize electricity in hospitals and universities, even if they were on Band-A feeders.
This was made known by Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa at the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna.
He said, “We know they are development institutions, they are social institutions. But inside the health and educational institutions, private businesses are hiding under them. These people charge their customers commercially and they expect to be subsidized because they are located within the territories of these institutions.
“We said no, go and do a proper search and meter everybody. For the ones that are properly health and education-related, we are ready to subsidize them, even if they are on Band A. We are compiling our data, DisCos will collect a certain amount and the government will pay the balance.
“But we must get the data right so that we are not subsidizing a private business that is charging its customers commercially. That will be an abnormal profit and it is unfair.”
