The founder of PRNigeria and Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), Yushau A. Shuaib, has vowed to challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which dismissed his ₦1 billion lawsuit against the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) over his withdrawal from the institute’s Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47.
Justice Binta Fatima Nyako, who delivered the judgment on Monday, held that NIPSS acted within its disciplinary powers after determining that Shuaib breached the institute’s confidentiality regulations. The court also ruled that his apology issued on behalf of PRNigeria over a publication considered offensive by the institute amounted to an admission of wrongdoing.
The court further held that Shuaib was given a fair hearing, having appeared before the institute’s disciplinary committee before the disciplinary action was taken. Justice Nyako also noted that, by subscribing to NIPSS’s oath of secrecy and confidentiality upon admission, he was bound to comply with the institute’s rules throughout the programme.
Reacting to the judgment, Shuaib expressed disappointment, arguing that the court failed to distinguish between his personal conduct and the editorial independence of PRNigeria. He maintained that before resuming at NIPSS, he had relinquished the day-to-day management of the organisation in line with the institute’s admission requirements and therefore should not be held personally responsible for reports he neither authored nor edited.
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He also criticised the judgment for not deciding on his allegation that his private email communications were unlawfully accessed, insisting that the matter involved a violation of his constitutional right to privacy.
Shuaib said he would immediately approach the Court of Appeal, insisting that significant constitutional and legal issues raised in the case deserve appellate review.
“While I respect the judgment of the Federal High Court, I firmly believe there are substantial constitutional and legal issues that deserve appellate review. In the interest of justice, fairness and the protection of fundamental rights, we shall be approaching the Court of Appeal without delay,” he said.
