The founder of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, has demanded the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), to reinstate him back into the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) of the Institute.
Shuaib, a public relations practitioner, is demanding a compensation of ₦1 billion from NIPSS for what he described as ‘reputational damage, emotional trauma and financial losses’ resulting from alleged wrongful withdrawal from the elite institution training programme.
The were contained in a pre-action notice served on NIPSS following his ejection from the institution on ground of alleged misconduct.
In the pre-action notice dated June 16, 2025, signed by Yunus Abdulsalam, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and addressed to Professor Ayo Omotayo, Director General of NIPSS, Shuaib noted alleged infractions by the Institute which included cyberstalking, unlawful access to private communications and baseless disciplinary measures aimed at humiliating and ejecting him from the programme under false pretences.
Shuaib, who is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), was nominated and admitted to SEC 47 early this year, but the relationship between him and the Institute went soured after he was served two queries over newspaper articles allegedly linked to him.
One of the queries was issued to him by Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha on behalf of Nima Salman Mann, the acting Director of studies at NIPSS.
A news story, titled; “NIPSS Goes Digital: Launches Paperless Platform after Submitting Landmark Report to President Tinubu”, published by his PRNigeria news medium was considered offensive by NIPSS but, for which Shuaib insisted he neither authored nor sanctioned it.
The legal representatives of Shuaib, insisted that the article was independently disseminated by other media outlets and contained no classified or confidential information.
The second query, according to the legal notice, referenced another article authored by Shuaib on the Blue Economy, an area said to be unrelated to NIPSS activities.
The article, titled; “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy: A PR Perspective”, was described by the legal team as a constitutionally protected expression of opinion.
But, NIPSS allegedly cited it as grounds for punitive action after unlawfully accessing Shuaib’s private email account.
The legal team therefore denounced what it described as a “fault-finding voyage” by the Institute, stressing that NIPSS violated Shuaib’s digital privacy in an attempt to fabricate misconduct.
The letter stated; “The Institute’s actions constitute a flagrant violation of digital privacy and a breach of constitutional rights under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution”.
It further described the queries and ejection process as malicious, unfounded and driven by “sheer institutional malice.”
Despite his compliance and respect for constituted authority, the notice claimed Shuaib was treated in a manner “incompatible with professional standards and institutional values.”
The legal notice issued to NIPSS gave the institution a 14-day ultimatum to comply with the demands of Shuaib that included, the formal and unconditional withdrawal of all disciplinary actions taken against him, as well as a written apology to be addressed to him and copy to be sent to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The notice specifically demanded Shuaib’s immediate reinstatement into the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47, with full privileges restored, particularly access to international study tours.
Shuaib also sought a compensation of ₦1 billion for what he described as reputational, emotional, and financial harm caused by the institute’s actions.
The legal notice warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would result in the initiation of legal proceedings, including claims for aggravated damages and declaratory relief.
