(By PRNigeria) A Nigerian public relations professional, Yushau A. Shuaib, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over what he describes as “unjust, humiliating, and deeply distressing” treatment at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, where he was suspended from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 allegedly over harmless articles supporting the President’s Digital and Blue Economy agenda.
In a detailed petition titled “Unjust Treatment at NIPSS Over Articles Supporting Digital and Blue Economy Reforms,” Shuaib, founder of PRNigeria and a Golden World Award recipient of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), accused the institute of harassment, cyberbullying, and professional ostracisation, despite his full compliance with institutional guidelines and ethical publishing practices.
Shuaib revealed that following his suspension on May 2, 2025, he was asked to vacate the NIPSS premises immediately. The abrupt action shocked his family and colleagues, who were left to speculate on the rationale, especially since all other participants remained in the programme.
“This petition sets the record straight and seeks to prevent false insinuations that could damage my reputation,” he stated.
Shuaib recounted that on October 28, 2024—shortly after receiving an international award in Belgrade—he was nominated by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to participate in the prestigious SEC 47 course. He disengaged from his company, Image Merchants Promotion Ltd, and joined the course in good faith.
However, on March 21, 2025, PRNigeria published a story titled “NIPSS Goes Digital,” which Shuaib neither authored nor edited. The article commended the institute’s transition to a paperless system and highlighted its alignment with the Tinubu’s digital transformation agenda. Despite this positive coverage, Shuaib was issued a query by Barrister Nima Salman Mann, the Acting Director of Studies, and was subsequently pressured by Rear Admiral A.A. Mustapha a Directing Staff to discard his initial written defence and submit a revised version dictated by them.
On April 7, 2025, Shuaib was summoned before a disciplinary panel but was denied the opportunity to speak or present his case. The panel relied exclusively on the rewritten response imposed by Rear Admiral Mustapha, rather than the original defence he had prepared.
He was then issued a perplexing final warning letter—his first and only formal warning since the commencement of the programme.
Other participants also reportedly faced disproportionate sanctions. One was queried for commending initiatives of Governor Caleb Mutfwang during a vote of thanks at Governmen House Jos, another for arriving late after a family emergency, and a third for representing NIPSS positively in an external engagement.
On April 28, Shuaib received another query—less than two months after the first. This time, the NIPSS cited a restricted internal PRNigeria editorial email dated April 25, 2025, titled “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy: A PR Perspective.” The unauthorised interception of this internal correspondence constituted a serious breach of digital privacy and can rightly be described as cyberbullying and cybercrime.
“The article, which I authored and later published in the media, provided insights into the government’s Marine and Blue Economy agenda from a Public Relations standpoint and did not refer to NIPSS whatsoever. Shockingly, the institute had accessed the email before it reached its intended editorial recipient—a clear act of unwarranted surveillance and professional misconduct.
“This act was not just a violation of privacy—it amounted to cyberbullying and professional misconduct,” he stated.
The mental strain from the ordeal reportedly led to a hypertension diagnosis at the NIPSS clinic. According to Shuaib, an official directive later barred other participants from interacting with him, leaving him completely isolated.
In addition to his suspension and exclusion from all official communication platforms, Shuaib was denied participation in the SEC 47 international study tours, despite having paid the full ₦18.2 million fee. All other participants were granted travel privileges and Estacodes for official tours across Africa and other continents.
Shuaib told an internal investigative committee—convened after his suspension—that while NIPSS’s Terms of Undertaking emphasise confidentiality, they do not define what qualifies as public, restricted, or classified information, as the institute does not have a communication policy to guide social or media engagement of the participants.
“All my articles were based on publicly available national discourse and never revealed internal NIPSS content,” he insisted. Following two appearances before the committee, he said he received no further communication.
In his concluding appeal to President Tinubu, Shuaib urged an independent investigation into the disciplinary process and cyber-privacy violations and a review of his suspension and exclusion.
He urged the establishment of a clear communication policy for participants at NIPSS.
He also criticised what he described as the excessive militarisation of the academic environment at NIPSS—an approach he says deviates from global best practices at institutions like Brookings (USA), Chatham House (UK), SWP (Germany), and RSIS (Singapore), where constructive dissent and academic freedom are valued.
“All I seek is the opportunity to complete the course, reclaim my dignity, and continue contributing meaningfully to the development of our great nation,” he concluded.
As at press time, NIPSS management has not publicly responded to the allegations.(Above report by PRNigeria)
NIPSS reacts to report-Full text
Distinguished members of the media.
It is with utmost sense of responsibility that we issue this statement, as it is not in our character to expose our internal workings in the media. The Management of the National Institute just learnt about a petition sent to Mr President, which we were not copied but read in the media, just like any other person. The National Institute is studying the petition and will make it’s position known to the public very soon.
However, our immediate reaction and for the records, since it has become imperative, is to let the public know that the National Institute is the foremost think tank for Nigeria. Part of its mandate is to train top decision and policy makers in Nigeria, in both public and private sectors. It is also to make sure that it builds leaders worth their salt in all ramifications and those who are able to take effective decisions in their various offices and organisations for national development. In doing this, it has set some parameters along the lines of discipline, time management, emotional intelligence, respect for rules and regulations, respect for other people’s rights, and many more.
Those who have passed through the National Institute trainings, particularly the Senior Executive Course, leading to the award of the Member of the National Institute (mni) will attest to this. The performance of the products of the National Institute has been acknowledged in Nigeria and around the world; that is in addition to its cutting-edged top notch research results for national development. It has not, at any time, been found wanting in the discharge of all its mandates and obligations.
This is the 47th Course and the graduates with mni are always proud and happy to raise their shoulders high wherever they find themselves for the level of moulding they have received from the National Institute. Coming to the specific issue of Mal Yushau, it is a case of someone who would not allow himself to be subjected to constituted authorities in the Institute. One of the cardinal rules of the National Institute is to keep whatever is discussed within, particularly during plenary, confidential.
This is a rule that all participants have signed to uphold. It is modelled along the Chatham House Rule. The essence is to give all our resource persons the freedom of intellectual and academic independence to speak their minds. Whatever will be publishes should be after the course is concluded.
In fact, some process their Individual Research Projects into books, with approval from the Management. However, Mr Yushau, being a PR and media person violated this rule by publishing what transpired in the Institute. He actually got it wrong by insinuating that he meant well. The truth is, the content is immaterial, the act of publishing when you are not supposed to is what matters. Mr Yushau knows very well that he signed the document where he promised to abide by this rule. Upon violation, he was queried and he responded by apologising. Thereafter, he was warned that it should never happen again. However, it did not take Mr Yushau long before re-violating the same rule he was warned about. He published another story on the theme of the study given to the Senior Executive Participants of SEC 47, 2025, and NIPSS, which he belonged to, using his by-line.
The study is still ongoing and should not by any imagination be published, in part or full, until the Course is over. This is in flagrant violation of the rules for which he was appropriately queried for the second time. However, instead of replying the query accordingly, Mr Yushau threw caution to the wind and decided to lecture and threaten the National Institute on the inappropriateness of issuing him a query. This he did in bad faith. Let us reiterate that the cheap blackmail of saying the content was to support Mr President on his agenda cannot hold. We are all working towards the success of Mr President, as exemplified in the many detailed research and other activities of the Institute being submitted to Mr President from time to time.
Nevertheless, being an orderly and law abiding Institution, with a reputation built over the years with clear and known ethos and standards, Mr Yushau was given a suspension for six weeks, after receiving the second query for the same offence. He was still serving the suspension when he sent a letter of complaint to the Daily Trust newspaper insinuating bullying. We need to stress here that all we asked Mr Yushau to do is obey laid down rules and regulations and this is not tantamount to bullying in whatever way. The newspaper did a story on this and the Director General gave a detailed response. (See the Daily Trust). As if that was not enough, his case is still being considered, as he has been invited by the Disciplinary Committee set up by the Management to look into his case and give him a fair hearing when he decided to publish (again) a petition meant for Mr President in the media. One would have thought that a petition meant for Mr President would be submitted in his office. We are aware that he has been going from one media house to another in other to blackmail the National Institute. This is counter- productive, as the National Institute will not subject itself to blackmail by a candidate that refuses to obey simple rules and regulations. The National Institute, in line with the dreams of it’s founding fathers, many of who are still alive, will not reduce the standard of producing decent, courteous, sound and effective leaders for the country. Let us say here that Mr Yushau is using his affiliation with the media for a negative cause. Contrary to his claims, he is actually trying to denigrate the very National think tank, which is the pride of Nigeria for his selfish end. That Mr Yushau’s nomination came from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR (an organisation we are all proud of) speaks volume. He has not demonstrated the very tenet of public relations, as he has not only let himself down professionally, he has let his nominating agency down. We are looking for leaders with emotional intelligence, not one that will betray his or her temperament when faced with issue of discipline. Without prejudice to the outcome of his letter to Mr President, let it be on record that the NIPR has also set up a panel of inquiry to look into his case. The questions Mr Yushau should ask himself are; how many participants are in his Course and how many of them have been queried twice within two months. For the benefit of doubt, there are 96 of them and he is the only one who has gotten two queries. We leave this to the general public to judge. In conclusion, the Disciplinary Committee set up to look into his case has submitted it’s report to Management and the six weeks suspension has not lapsed, so we await the verdict of the Management on his case, until then we want to thank all our media organisations for holding on to truth. God bless.
Signed
Prof Sola Adeyanju, mni, Head, Public Affairs Department, NIPSS.