The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has officially withdrawn Yushau Shuaib, founder of PRNigeria, from its Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47, citing “misconduct and disregard for constituted authorities.”
The decision, approved by NIPSS management and communicated by Director General Professor Ayo Omotayo, followed a disciplinary committee’s recommendation to expel Shuaib over alleged breaches of confidentiality and institutional guidelines.
However, the specific misconduct was not detailed in the withdrawal letter, which also requested Shuaib’s bank details to process a prorated refund of his course fees.
Shuaib had earlier petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing NIPSS of unjust, humiliating, and distressing treatment, including harassment, cyberbullying, and professional ostracisation, despite his claims of full compliance with institutional rules.
He alleged that he was abruptly suspended on May 2, 2025, and forced to vacate the institute’s premises, a move that shocked his family and colleagues while other participants remained in the programme.
The PR professional contended that he was unfairly targeted over two innocuous articles: a news story titled “NIPSS Goes Digital,” which he neither authored nor edited, and a positive opinion piece on the Blue Economy that did not mention NIPSS.
He also cited discriminatory treatment, such as being forbidden from identifying himself as a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations during plenary sessions, while others freely used their professional or informal titles. Furthermore, Shuaib claimed he was denied a fair hearing during the disciplinary panel, which relied on a rewritten defense imposed by institute officials.
Shuaib accused NIPSS of illegally intercepting a restricted internal PRNigeria editorial email, describing this as a serious breach of digital privacy and cyberbullying. Despite paying the full ₦18.2 million course fee, he was excluded from SEC 47’s international study tours and alienated from other participants. He attributed the ordeal to psychological distress that led to a hypertension diagnosis at the institute’s clinic.
In his appeal to President Tinubu, Shuaib called for an independent investigation into the disciplinary process and alleged cyber-privacy violations, a review of his suspension and exclusion, and the establishment of a clear communication policy for NIPSS participants.
He also criticized the excessive militarisation of the academic environment at NIPSS and the lack of clear guidelines on what constitutes public, restricted, or classified information in media engagements.
Shuaib noted that despite nearly two months since his suspension, NIPSS has not provided him with any updates on his status, and he is still awaiting direct correspondence as promised in the suspension letter.
