Expressing discomfort with the March 18 appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as Administrator of Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, a Chief Magistrate, who had put in 16 years of service in the State Judiciary, has resigned.
Ejike George quit the service, citing unease over the appointment of Ibas to oversee the affairs of the state in a democratic setting.
To the Chief Magistrate, the appointment of Ibas as a sole administrator is tantamount to a “quasi-military administration”.
The resignation was contained in a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.
In the letter, entitled ‘Voluntary Retirement From Service,’ George expressed dismay over the direction of governance in the state, which he said is “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of the legal profession.
“This is 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,” he said.
