Just recently, the Permanent Secretary in the Cross River State Ministry of Education, Anne Odey, was suspended by the state government for “flouting civil service rules”.
Her offence? She reportedly issued a circular banning morning and afternoon prayers in private and public schools in the state.
Media reports quoted Odey as saying she embarked on the move based on security reports from the Nigeria Police.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has debunked claims that he ordered the ban on school assemblies in primary and secondary schools anywhere in the nation.
In a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mrs. Olabisi Kolawole, quoted the IGP as only giving advice to schools within insurgency-prone areas so that they can take necessary precautions for the safety of their pupils and students.
“The Inspector-General of Police…wishes to inform the general public that the Force has not issued any order banning assembly devotion in primary and secondary schools anywhere in Nigeria,” Kolawole, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, stated.
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