The House of Representatives will investigate the 'extra' amount spent at the just concluded National Conference, chairman of the commit-tee on Justice Rep Ali Ahmed has said.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Trust in Abuja on Monday, Rep Ahmed (APC, Kwara) said the National Conference was extended by about two months from the initial period of three months, making five months, while only N7 billion was approved for the "national assignment".

The conference which ended last Thursday was inaugurated on March 17.

However, midway into their assignment, the over 490 delegates requested for an additional period of six weeks, saying the initial three months would not be enough for them to carry out the work. The Federal Government however added one month for them, which meant the Confab, would then end on July 17. But it ended on August 14, just three days short of five months.

This situation, Rep Ahmed (APC, Kwara said) meant that additional money was spent above the approved N7 billion, which is why "they must come and answer questions as to how they got the additional sum."

He said: "We'll conduct a public hearing on this. Even the N7 billion that was approved, I was personally against it. We argued that it should be cut to N5 billion, because that would have been enough, but they insisted," he said.

Daily Trust learnt that apart from extra allowances for delegates and their aides during the extended period, other additional expenses incurred included that of renting the venue and money for the Confab secretariat upkeep, among others.

The lawmaker also described the Confab as a "jamboree" and a "waste of time going by all the intrigues that went on" while it lasted.