National Institute for Policy Strategic Studies expels participant over published articles

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has expelled the founder of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47, citing misconduct and disregard for constituted authorities.

Penpushing report that the official order of the withdrawal was contained in a letter addressed to the Public Relations Institute that nominated Shuaib for the course.

The Director General of the institute, Ayo Omotayo, explained that the decision, approved by its management, followed a disciplinary committee’s recommendation to expel Shuaib over alleged breaches of confidentiality and institutional guidelines.

Penpushing further reports the letter signed by Muhammad Suleiman on behalf of the Director General did not specify the exact offences constituting misconduct, but  it concluded by requesting the bank account details to process a prorated refund of Shuaib’s course fee.

The expelled public relations professional in response to the development said the institute had not provided any updates on his status for nearly two months since his suspension, despite his awareness of prior attempts to expel him.

“I’m still expecting their correspondence to me directly, as they stated in the suspension letter, they addressed to me about two months ago’, Shuaib emphasised.

Penpushing also reports that it is recalled that Shuaib had in May petitioned President Bola Tinubu over what he described as unjust, humiliating, and deeply distressing treatment at the institute.

The founder of PRNigeria was suspended for six weeks from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 allegedly over an article he wrote supporting the president’s Digital and Blue Economy agenda.

Penpushing reports that he alleged harassment, cyberbullying, and professional ostracisation —despite claiming full compliance with institutional guidelines, adding that he was abruptly asked to vacate the institute premises following his suspension on May 2, 2025, a move that reportedly shocked his family and colleagues, especially as other participants remained in the programme.

The Head of Public Affairs Department of the institute, Sola Adeyanju, at the time countered Shuaib, arguing that his case is that 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’, Adeyanju said.

Penpushing further reports that he added that the essence is to give all its resource persons the freedom of intellectual and academic independence to speak their minds, but Shuaib declared that he was unfairly queried for innocuous articles, including a news story titled “NIPSS Goes Digital,”

The expelled Shuaib argued that he neither authored nor edited, the article as well as an opinion piece he authored on the “Blue Economy” that made no mention of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Penpushing also reports that Shuaib cited a discriminatory instruction forbidding him from identifying himself as a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations during plenary sessions.

“This was particularly baffling, since others were freely allowed to use their professional affiliations, including informal titles like ‘Dagger’ and ‘Sword’, Shuaib stated

Penpushing reports that in addition, he claimed that during a disciplinary panel, he was denied the opportunity to defend himself, with the panel allegedly relying on a rewritten response imposed by the Acting Director of Studies A. A. Mustapha.

The founder of PRNigeria, equally accused the institute of illegally intercepting and accessing a restricted internal PRNigeria editorial email, describing it as a serious breach of digital privacy, cyberbullying, and professional misconduct.

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that Prof Adeyanju, last month stated that Shuaib violated their rule by publishing what transpired in the institute, stressing that he (Shuaib) actually got it wrong by insinuating that he meant well with the article to support the President

‘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’, the institute said.

Penpushing also reports that the institute added that Shuaib published an article on the “theme of the study given to the Senior Executive Participants of SEC 47, 2025, and NIPSS,” which he belonged to, using his byline.

“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.”

Penpushing reports that Shuaib had revealed that despite paying the full N18.2 million course fee, he was excluded from Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47’s international study tours and officially alienated from other participants.

The expelled participant attributed psychological distress from the ordeal that led to a hypertension diagnosis at the institute’s clinic, and in his appeal to the President, Shuaib seeks an independent investigation into the disciplinary process and alleged cyber-privacy violations.

Penpushing further reports that Shuaib in same vein requests a review of his suspension and exclusion, along with the establishment of a clear communication policy for The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) participants.

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