The Rivers State Judiciary has faulted the reasons given by
retired Chief Magistrate Ejike King George for his exit from the Judiciary.
George, in a letter widely circulated on social media,
claimed that his voluntary retirement was largely due to discomfort with the
recent appointment of what he described as a “quasi-military administration” to
govern Rivers State.
However, the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court,
David Ihua Maduenyi, in a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, clarified
that George was compulsorily retired from service with effect from February 10,
2025, for disciplinary reasons.
According to Maduenyi, the action followed complaints of
prolonged absence from duty without official leave, spanning from August 25,
2023, to December 2024.
Maduenyi further explained that the retired Chief Magistrate
appeared before a disciplinary panel of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)
following the complaints, and the panel found him culpable and recommended
either voluntary retirement or compulsory retirement.
The recommendation was subsequently submitted to the JSC,
which approved his compulsory retirement.
Chief Registrar Maduenyi stated that George’s attempt to
link his removal from office to the prevailing political situation in the state
is not only a contrived falsehood but also a mischievous act aimed at deceiving
the public and attracting undue sympathy and unmerited support.
The former Chief Magistrate, in a letter made available to
journalists on Monday, attributed the reason for his resignation to the current
system of governance, which he said is not only unfamiliar but fundamentally
contradicts the ideals and values of the legal profession.
According to George, such a structure runs counter to the
principles upheld by legal practitioners and adjudicators.
Rivers State is currently being ruled by a former military
officer, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, following the suspension of
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of
the State House of Assembly.
The suspension of the governor and other elected leaders in
the state followed a declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola
Tinubu, citing the prolonged political crisis in the state, which the president
claimed threatened democratic rule and processes.
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