The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has given the Federal Government between now and Sunday, January 16 to rescind its decision to close primary and secondary schools in the country or face court action.

NBA President Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN) said in a statement late on Monday that the closure of the schools will not confer any strategic advantage on the voter registration process, arguing that the process could go on while the students are in school even if their schools will eventually be needed.

He said that the only way to enthrone lasting democracy was to build it upon the rule of law and observance of due process.

He said that the decision of the FG was not thought through and negates all the known principles of federalism, democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law.

Daudu said some schools were already open for the new sessions while most others were due to reopen before the decision was announced.

The NBA said that Nigeria being a Federal structure, the State and Local governments ought to have been part of the decision making process of that magnitude as states and local governments have constitutional responsibilities to secondary and primary education respectively.

He said that this unmitigated disruption to the education sector was without basis in law, lacks precedent and arbitrary.

“The NBA will be constrained to proceed to court to challenge the shut down decision if the decision is not rescinded before the 16th day of January, 2011,” he said.