The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), has approved the withdrawal of the founder of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47, over alleged “misconduct and disregard for constituted authorities”.
Shuaib’s withdrawal, followed a petition written by him in which he accused the Institute of unjust treatment and cybercrime.
Director General of NIPSS, Professor Ayo Omotayo, in a letter to the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said that the decision was approved by its management upon the recommendations of a disciplinary committee for the expulsion of Shuaib over alleged breaches of confidentiality and institutional guidelines.
However, the withdrawal letter signed by Muhammad Kabir Suleiman on behalf of the Director General, did not specify the exact offenses constituting “misconduct”, but requested for bank account details to process a prorated refund of Shuaib’s course fee.
Shuaib had petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, detailing what he described as “unjust, humiliating, and deeply distressing” treatment at NIPSS.
In his petition titled; “Unjust Treatment at NIPSS Over Articles Supporting Digital and Blue Economy Reforms,” Shuaib alleged harassment, cyberbullying, and professional ostracization—despite claiming full compliance with institutional guidelines.
He also said that he was abruptly asked to vacate the NIPSS premises following his suspension on May 2, 2025, a move that reportedly shocked his family and colleagues, especially as other participants remained in the programme.
Shuaib further argued that he was unfairly queried for innocuous articles, including a news story titled; “NIPSS Goes Digital,” which he neither authored nor edited, as well as a positive opinion piece on the “Blue Economy” that made no mention of NIPSS.
Among several episodes, Shuaib cited was a discriminatory instruction forbidding him from identifying himself as a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (mnipr) during plenary sessions.
According to Shuaib; “This was particularly baffling since others were freely allowed to use their professional affiliations, including informal titles like ‘Dagger’ and ‘Sword.’”
Shuaib also claimed that during a disciplinary panel, he was denied the opportunity to defend himself, with the panel allegedly relying on a rewritten response imposed by Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha on behalf of Barrister Nima Salman Mann, the acting Director of Studies.
The PR practitioner specifically accused NIPSS of illegally intercepting and accessing a restricted internal PRNigeria editorial email, describing it as a serious breach of digital privacy, cyberbullying, and professional misconduct.
Shuaib said that despite paying the full N18.2 million course fee, he was excluded from SEC 47’s international study tours and officially alienated from other participants.
He attributed his psychological distress from the ordeal that led to a hypertension diagnosis at the institute’s clinic.
In his appeal to President Tinubu, Shuaib sought an independent investigation into the disciplinary process and alleged cyber-privacy violations and also requested a review of his suspension and exclusion, along with the establishment of a clear communication policy for NIPSS participants.
Apart from criticizing the “excessive militarization” of the academic environment at NIPSS, Shuaib highlighted the institute’s lack of a defined communication policy, thereby leaving participants without clear guidance on what constitutes public, restricted, or classified information in social or media engagements.
Contacted on the development, Shuaib said that NIPSS is yet to provide him with any update on his status for nearly two months since his suspension, despite his awareness of prior attempts to expel him.
He said; “I’m still expecting their correspondence to me directly, as they stated in the suspension letter they addressed to me about two months ago”.
