Ejike George, a Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, has resigned from service to express his grievance over the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.
Having spent sixteen years in the service of the state judiciary, George said the appointment of a sole administrator is tantamount to a ‘quasi-military administration’ due to his years of experience in the Judiciary.
A letter dated April 11, 2025, conveying George’s resignation, was sent to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State via the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.
“Voluntary Retirement From Service” was the title of the letter.
George expressed his displeasure with the state’s current government, calling it “alien” and “antithetical” to the ideals of the legal profession.
The statement reads, “This present is intended to convey my decision to voluntarily retire my appointment as Magistrate of the Judiciary of Rivers State.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern state like ours.
READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: Women Stage Pro-Emergency Rule Protest
“Milord will agree with me that this type of governance system is not only alien but also runs antithetical to our hallowed profession as legal practitioners and adjudicators.
“Having put in a whopping 16 (sixteen) out of my 22 (twenty-two) years of legal practice into this Judiciary as Magistrate under successive democratic administrations, I find it difficult to work with the current setting, as doing so would amount to a tacit and naive acquiescence.
“Thanks Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
