By Chidi Nkwopara
Imo State House of Assembly has, in a unanimous resolution, passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho.

The lawmakers also resolved that following the no-confidence vote passed on the minister, he should resign his ministerial appointment forthwith.

Part of the unanimous motion, which was passed during a plenary, read that the lawmakers will urge President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the minister if he failed to resign within a reasonable time.

According to the chief sponsor of the motion, Chief Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba , “the minister has performed below expectation as his appointment is likely going to cause breach of peace and restiveness in the state, particularly in Orlu zone, that is entitled to produce the minister.”

Emelumba alleged that Captain Iheanacho had been using his position to cause tension in the state by unduly heating the polity.

Emelumba, who represents Oru West state constituency, stated that the ministerial slot belonged to Orlu Zone as the other zones, namely Okigwe and Owerri where Capt. Iheanacho hailed, were not entitled to the ministerial position in the present political configuration.

In his own contribution, the member representing Isiala Mbano, Chief Simeon Iwunze, said “the minister has performed below expectation.”

He added that “he is insensitive to the plight of his people by failing to relocate the Federal Prisons in Owerri metropolis months after the members joined the people of the state to ask for the relocation of the prisons.”

Speaking also, the Deputy Majority Leader in the House, Stan Dara, observed that the ministerial position rightly belonged to Orlu zone, stressing that for equity and justice to reign, Capt. Iheanacho should resign for usurping a position that did not belong to his zone.

The member representing Ngor Okpala in Owerri Zone, Chief Bede Eke, opined that the minister was incompetent as he was reported not to have good relationship with his subordinate staff, especially the permanent secretary of the ministry.

Opposing the motion, however, the member representing Ahiazu state constituency, Mr. Benjamin Emereonye, said it was the prerogative of the president to appoint anybody he wanted as a minister.

After a heated argument and the matter was put to vote by the Speaker, Chief Goodluck Nanah Opiah, majority of the members voted in the affirmative, and asked President Jonathan to relieve the Minister of Interior of his appointment and replace him with an Orlu zone person