Rivers State Emergency Rule: Chief Magistrate George, Voluntarily retires from service
By: Davies Iheamnachor
A Chief Magistrate in Rivers State, Ejike King George, has voluntarily retired from service over the suspension of the state elected governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and the lawmakers, and imposition of Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, as a Sole Administrator.
The Chief Magistrate, in the letter addressed to the Honorable Chief Judge of the State through, the Secretary,
Rivers State Judicial Service Commission noted that his decision was following the quasi-military leadership in the state.
The letter read: “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 whooping 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.”
