Sanwo-Olu Did Not Increase Minimum Wage To N70,000 — Lagos Govt

The Lagos State government has denied reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced a new minimum wage of N70,000.

Speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the Eko Cares, an umbrella of all Lagos State Government social intervention programmes, the governor had said that since January, civil servants had been earning the N35,000 wage award directed by the Federal Government, which means that those earning N35,000 now earn N70,000.

This was, however, interpreted in some media reports as Sanwo-Olu announcing a new minimum wage of N70,000.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement on Thursday said the governor was erroneously misquoted, adding that he did not announce a new minimum wage as reported in some sections of the media.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been erroneously quoted as saying that a new minimum wage of N70,000 had been announced. This is wrong. Mr. Governor never said so. He said since January, civil servants had been earning the N35,000 wage award directed by the Federal Government. In other words, those earning N35,000 now earn N70,000. He did not announce a new minimum wage of N70,000,” Omotoso said.

Quoting the governor verbatim, the commissioner said: “His words: “I know that by the grace of God very very soon we’ll see a new minimum wage that will be approved for the Federal Government and for the state government. The civil servants and all public officers, they know that since January we have continued to pay the wage allowance of minimum of N35,000 over and above what they were earning before.

“People that were earning a minimum of N35,000 to N40,000 before, they are now earning over N70,000. So, it’s important for people to know and for us to lay this thing very clearly. This government has doubled up and has not left its citizens on their own…”.