NUNG UKIM, Akwa Ibom – A staggering administrative nightmare has been uncovered at the Akwa Ibom State College of Science and Technology (AKWASTECH), Nung Ukim, where the institution has withered into a “ghost school” despite a massive monthly wage bill.
In what critics are calling a “colossal monument to waste,” the latest statistics from the institution reveal a mind-boggling disparity: the college currently maintains a workforce of 157 academic and non-academic staff to cater to a total student population of just 15.
The Mathematical Meltdown
The numbers tell a story of systemic abandonment. With nearly 10 staff members for every single student, the college has become a bizarre anomaly in Nigeria’s educational sector. While the lecture halls remain hollow and the laboratories gather dust, the Governor Umo Eno administration continues to bankroll a full complement of personnel who effectively have no one to teach.
“It is a heartbreak,” one local observer noted. “You have professors and administrators reporting for duty every day to a campus that looks like a film set for a post-apocalyptic movie. Where are the students? Where is the science? Where is the technology?”
The Accreditation Death Spiral
The root of the exodus lies in a decade of neglect. Sources within the institution reveal that AKWASTECH has struggled with a total lack of National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) accreditation for its core programmes. Without the seal of approval, certificates from the college are viewed as “worthless” by employers, leading to a total collapse in enrolment.
The infrastructure has followed suit. Once-promising workshops and hostels are now being swallowed by weeds, with some buildings reportedly becoming havens for reptiles rather than researchers.
Governor Eno’s “Rescue or Retire” Dilemma
The heat is now on Governor Umo Eno, who recently signed the state’s ₦1.58 trillion 2026 budget into law. While the Governor has hinted at “intervention works” and a possible merger with the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), the reality on the ground at Nung Ukim suggests that a mere facelift may not be enough to perform a resurrection.
The administration faces a brutal choice: invest billions to re-accredit and re-equip a dead brand, or pull the plug on an institution that has become a drain on the state’s treasury.
Staff in Limbo
For the 157 workers caught in the middle, the situation is one of “golden boredom.” While salaries are reportedly being paid, the professional rot is palpable. “We want to work, but there is no one to train,” a staff member whispered under anonymity. “We are just waiting for the government to decide if we are a school or a high-priced daycare for 15 people.”
As public outcry grows, the “Ghost College of Nung Ukim” stands as a stinging reminder of how quickly a vision for technological advancement can turn into a bureaucratic graveyard.
