A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Ejike George, has stepped down from his position, raising concerns over the recent appointment of a Sole Administrator to manage the affairs of the state.
The PUNCH reported that in his resignation letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State via the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, George described the move as resembling a “quasi-military administration”, a governance style he believes contradicts the ideals of a democratic society.
Having served 16 years within the judiciary, George titled his letter ‘Voluntary Retirement From Service’, citing deep unease with the current political direction of the state.
He lamented what he called an “alien” and “antithetical” shift in governance, stressing that it undermines the ethos of the legal profession.
The letter read in part, “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.
“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.”
George’s resignation comes amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State, where governance decisions have sparked widespread debate within and outside legal circles.
