Judicial Service Commission Denies Link Between Retirement and State Politics
Rivers: Judiciary Fires Back, Dismisses Magistrate’s “Political Exit” Claim as Falsehood
The Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (RSJSC) has publicly discredited claims made by a retired magistrate suggesting his departure from the judiciary was in protest of what he described as the emergence of a “quasi-military administration” in the state.
In a strongly worded disclaimer dated April 14, 2025, the RSJSC responded to a widely circulated statement by Ejike King George, Esq., a retired Chief Magistrate, who claimed he voluntarily stepped down due to political developments in Rivers State. The Commission flatly rejected this narrative, labeling it a “contrived falsehood” intended to “deceive the public.”
“To set the records straight,” the Commission stated, “the person we know as Ejike K. George, Esq. (Chief Magistrate Grade II Rtd.) was… compulsorily retired from service… for disciplinary reasons.”
According to the document, George had been absent from duty without leave from August 25, 2023, until December 2024 — a prolonged absenteeism that triggered a disciplinary review.
“He appeared before a disciplinary panel which found him wanting,” the statement continued, noting that he was offered a window to retire voluntarily, which he ignored. As a result, the Commission finalized his compulsory retirement effective February 10, 2025.
The RSJSC emphasized that George’s claim of political motivation behind his exit “has no nexus whatsoever with current political happenings in the State,” and criticized his remarks as “a mischievous action calculated to deceive the public, attract undue sympathy and undeserved patronage.”
While political tensions have simmered in Rivers State in recent months, the Commission’s firm response appears aimed at preventing further politicization of judicial matters.
The public, the RSJSC concluded, “should be properly guided.” Read More
