The Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has faulted claims made by Ejike George, a retired chief magistrate, who resigned over the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retired) as the sole administrator of the State.
George, who tendered his resignation letter on April 11, 2025, cited the appointment of a “quasi-military administration” to oversee the affairs of Rivers as his reason for stepping down.
His resignation has further fueled calls against the imposition of emergency rule in the state following the suspension of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, and the state’s House of Assembly members.
However, the administration of Ibas has countered George’s claims, stating that he had retired long before President Bola Tinubu declared an emergency rule in the state on March 18.
In a statement issued by Blessings Vic-Jumbo, the acting secretary of the JSC, the commission accused George of falsifying his resignation and misleading the public.
“To set the record straight, the person we know as Ejike K. George, Esq. (Chief Magistrate Grade II, retired) was, by a letter dated February 12, 2025, from the Judicial Service Commission, compulsorily retired from service with effect from February 10, 2025, for disciplinary reasons,” the statement reads.
The JSC clarified that George had been absent from duty without official leave for over a year starting from August 25, 2023, to December 2024 which prompted a judiciary panel to offer him the option to retire voluntarily within a specific timeframe.
The statement continued: “Having failed to retire voluntarily within the said timeframe, he was consequently compulsorily retired with effect from February 10, 2025, and this was duly communicated to him.”
The commission emphasized that this event had no connection with the current political developments in the State.
“The attempt by Ejike K. George, Esq. to link his exit from service with the political situation is not only a contrived falsehood but a mischievous action calculated to deceive the public, attract undue sympathy, and undeserved patronage,” the statement concluded.
