The Lagos State government has clarified a widely circulated report claiming that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has increased the minimum wage in the state to N70,000.

According to the clarification given by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement on Thursday, the governor was erroneously quoted.

He said, “The Lagos State Government has not increased the minimum wage, contrary to the impression in some media reports, which emanated from the unveiling of Eko Cares – the umbrella for the various interventions to protect the poor against the effects of the prevailing economic hardship.

“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 quoted the governor to have said, “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…”.