A Nigerian public relations professional, Yushau A. Shuaib, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he described 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 after paying a fee of N18 million.
The participant stated this in a detailed petition, titled: “Unjust Treatment at NIPSS Over Articles Supporting Digital and Blue Economy Reforms.”
In it 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.
He 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 Limited, 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 digital transformation agenda.
Despite this positive coverage, Shuaib was issued a query by 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 the initiatives of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State during a vote of thanks at the Government 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.
Shuaib said: “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.”
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 N18.2 million fee.
All other participants were granted travel privileges and Estacodes for official tours across Africa and other continents.
