Malam Yushau Shuaib, a communication expert and the founder of PRNigeria, has called for an end to what he describes as “institutional bullying” of innocent Nigerians across the country, in accordance with Nigeria’s Constitution.
He stated that corporate bodies must defend Nigerians’ fundamental rights to free expression, travel, and association in order to ensure justice and fairness to citizens.
His plea on Monday against institutional bullying, harassment, and unjust intimidation came against the backdrop of his experience at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), where he was allegedly withdrawn from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 due to a media publication by his media outfit, from which he had resigned and did not author or approve.
The publisher lamented that his harrowing experience at NIPSS over issues such as institutional bullying, gross abuse of freedom of expression, violations of due process, violations of digital privacy, prohibition of association, and the responsibilities of leadership institutions was a tragic story of the twenty-first century.
He denied infringing any institute rules and claimed vicarious culpability for a publication by his media firm that had nothing to do with NIPSS or its purposes.
Worse, Shuaib claimed that the institute illegally collected written apologies as part of a strategy to gain an unfair edge in court.
Despite losing his court action against the unlawful removal from the Senior Executive Course, the publisher promised to take the case to the Court of Appeal until justice was served.
Shuaib was removed from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies’ Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) last year due to concerns about institutional discipline, freedom of expression, due process, digital privacy, and leadership institutions’ responsibilities.
The founder of PRNigeria emphasised the importance of institutions respecting individuals’ fundamental rights, including course participants, as he reflected on his time at the institute.
Shuaib revealed his narrative on his experiences at NIPSS during the media briefing.
“The memoir describes my experience at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), including the events that led to my withdrawal from the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47).
“It describes my thoughts on institutional discipline, freedom of expression, due process, digital privacy, and the roles of leadership institutions.
“Among the issues discussed are my allegations that private email correspondence belonging to my media organization was unlawfully accessed during disciplinary proceedings; the attribution to me of authorship of a publication that I maintain I neither wrote nor endorsed; and my claim that expressions of institutional regret were misinterpreted as admissions of misconduct.
“The memoir also looks at the involvement of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), particularly how it ended its Memorandum of Understanding with IMPR in the aftermath of the incident.
“The memoir also details my efforts to obtain legal and regulatory relief. Most regrettably, more than a year after formally petitioning both the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) about the alleged cybercrime involving the interception of my private email, no action has been taken against the named suspects,” he said.
While acknowledging that the experience reflects a broader concern about institutional accountability, Shuaib stated that it mirrors two other unresolved matters that he had pursued through the courts for over three years: the alleged unlawful freezing of IMPR’s corporate account by Access Bank and his defamation suit against Mr Terrence Kuanum over the publication of an article falsely portraying him as a “mastermind” and “on the payroll of terrorists.”
He stated that in each case, he reported the issues to the appropriate authorities and sought judicial redress, but meaningful resolution has remained elusive.
“These experiences have reinforced my conviction that justice delayed not only affects individuals but can also erode public confidence in institutions established to uphold the rule of law,” he continued.