Cross River Governor Suspends Permanent Secretary Over Ban Of Prayers In Schools

The Cross River Government has suspended indefinitely, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Anne Odey, for “flouting civil service rules”, amid a controversy over ban of morning and afternoon prayer sessions in schools.

Jude Ngaji, the State Security Adviser to Gov, Ben Ayade, disclosed this on Friday in Calabar while speaking to journalists.

Mrs. Odey in a statement had directed all private and public primary and secondary schools in the state to stop morning and afternoon devotion forthwith. According to her, the directives came from the Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo, in view of the security challenges facing the nation.

The state Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Archbishop Joseph Ukpo, in a statement, shortly after Mrs Odey’s ban called on the state government to immediately withdraw such directive, as the state and the students all need God.

The suspension is indefinite.