Sunday Ejike, Author at Tribune Online

The founder of PRNigeria, Malam Yushau Shuaib, has demanded his immediate reinstatement into the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Shuaib, a public relations expert, is also seeking from NIPSS a compensation of N1 billion for alleged reputational damage, emotional trauma, and financial losses resulting from what he described as a wrongful withdrawal from the elite training programme. The demands are contained in a pre-action notice served on NIPSS following his ejection from the elite institution on grounds of alleged misconduct. The pre-action notice, dated June 16, 2025, and signed by Yunus Abdulsalam, SAN, and addressed to Professor Ayo Omotayo, the Director General of NIPSS, outlined a series of alleged infractions by the Institute, including cyberstalking, unlawful access to private communications, and baseless disciplinary measures, which the legal team claimed were aimed at humiliating and ejecting Shuaib from the programme under false pretences. Shuaib, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), was said to have been nominated and admitted to SEC 47 early this year, but the relationship between him and the Institute reportedly soured after he was served two queries over newspaper articles allegedly linked to him. Trouble reportedly broke out when Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha issued him queries on behalf of Barrister 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”, considered to be offensive by NIPSS, was said to have been published by his PRNigeria news medium, but Shuaib insisted he neither authored nor sanctioned it. His legal representatives argued 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. However, NIPSS allegedly cited it as grounds for punitive action after unlawfully accessing Shuaib’s private email account. The legal team denounced what it called a “fault-finding voyage” by the Institute, alleging that NIPSS had violated Shuaib’s digital privacy in an attempt to fabricate misconduct. “The Institute's actions constitute a flagrant violation of digital privacy and a breach of constitutional rights under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution,” the letter stated, further describing 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 demands concerning Shuaib. These include the formal and unconditional withdrawal of all disciplinary actions taken against him, as well as a written apology to be addressed to him and copied to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). The notice further demanded Shuaib’s immediate reinstatement into the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47), with full privileges restored, particularly access to international study tours. It also sought a compensation of N1 billion for what was described as reputational, emotional, and financial harm caused by the Institute’s actions. The letter 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. At the time of filing this report, NIPSS has not officially responded to the pre-action notice. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE