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A new memoir by public relations expert Yushau A. Shuaib narrates alleged “bullying, deceptive power, and psychological pressure” encountered during the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
Titled, “MNI versus MNIPR in NIPSS: Tackling Institutional Bullying,” it describes the treatment of participants at Nigeria’s premier leadership academy as condescending at times, as rules shifted unpredictably, e.g., applause is allowed one day, forbidden the next.
In Chapter Three, entitled “The Rules of Power,” Shuaib recounts experiences that illustrate how, in several instances, strict disciplinary practices at the foremost institute crossed the line into public humiliation of accomplished citizens.
NIPSS Director‑General Professor Ayo Omotayo, he recalled, had outlined the ten‑month course as a platform for grooming senior policymakers through lectures, workshops, study tours, and research. Also specified were punctuality, dress code, and discipline.
Yet beneath the emphasis on excellence, Shuaib writes, was an atmosphere where diverse professionals—including senior military officers, academics, lawyers, and technocrats—were subjected to open rebuke over seemingly minor issues.
In one episode, a respected female advocate delivered what colleagues considered an impressive presentation, as it drew an ovation from the hall. But instead of commendation, she was scolded for deviating from the “approved NIPSS style.”
“The correction was not instructional. It was humiliating,” Shuaib argues. Another incident that demonstrated the pattern involved an internationally celebrated academic who was shouted at for resting one hand in his pocket while speaking.
A directing staff member yelled, “Pocketing!”—a command which apparently startled the man. He immediately obeyed and later told the author, “It is their environment. Let them enjoy the deceptive glory of being the bosses who call the shots.”
The memoir recollects participants stopped introducing themselves with professional titles, fearing it had become a liability. Shuaib mentions being reprimanded for introducing himself with the “Mnipr” appellation, a merited designation in public relations.
The fallout led to a blanket order: no more post‑nominals. The directive, the author contends, revealed “fragile egos and an unsettling lack of emotional intelligence,” prompting him to withdraw from active participation during plenary sessions.
According to the book, military and security personnel faced even harsher scrutiny, often admonished for harmless remarks or casual behaviour, creating a setting where caution replaced spontaneity, and fear overshadowed intellectual engagement.
The fellows, as recorded, chose silence out of survival instinct: “The objective for many was simple: complete the programme, earn the coveted mni designation, and move on.” A prestigious national institution treats practitioners like schoolchildren, Shuaib protests.
However, he acknowledges NIPSS’s scholarly standards, research rigour, and stringency of attendance, confidentiality, and academic integrity. He says course members learned from lectures, policy discussions, persevered and preserved their dignity under pressure.
Shuaib concludes that his time there marked “another curriculum,” one centred on power dynamics, restraint, and institutional culture, saying the experience offered profound lessons in human dynamics—resilience, restraint, and the subtle expressions of power.
