A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Ejike George, has voluntarily resigned from his position, citing discomfort with the recent appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.
In a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, George described the development as a deviation from democratic governance and a threat to the principles of the legal profession.
“This present is intended to convey my decision to voluntarily retire my appointment as Magistrate of the Judiciary of Rivers State,” he wrote.
George, who has spent 16 years serving as a Magistrate, said the new leadership style resembles a military regime.
“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,” the letter stated.
He further described the current approach to governance in the state as “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of legal practice and adjudication.
“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,” he said.
Expressing his reluctance to be part of such a system, George noted, “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.”
He concluded the letter by appreciating the opportunity to serve.
“Thanks Milord, for the opportunity to serve,” he added.
