Having just survived cabinet reshuffle, the Nigerian House of Representatives on Thursday told Nigerian Culture, Tourism and National Orientation Minister Prince Adetokunbo Kayode to return N2.4 billion (US$20.4 million) to the Consolidated Revenue Account his ministry overspent in the 2008 Amended Budgetary Allocation.

Nigeria's House Committee on culture and tourism gave the minister, who appeared before it, the order last Thursday. The chairman of the committee, KGB Oguakwa, said the refund became necessary because the 2008 amended budget passed in October by the National Assembly approved N2 billion for the ministry's use, whereas it expended a sum of N3.4billion as approved in the initial budget.

Oguakwa stated that in certain respect, the ministry was supposed to spend N116 million as allowed in the amended budget but had spent N210 million by September of the current year. The chairman expressed the committee?s disappointment with the ministry for lack of respect for the House and for not carrying it along in its programs.

"It is incredible that such a major national tourism engagement as the Abuja Carnival 2008, an event for which we appropriated funds in excess of N350 million, is at hand, and the MDAs saddled with its execution have not deemed it fit to, a few days to its kick-off, brief or even invite the representatives of the Nigerian people," Oguakwa noted.