The Lagos State Government has said the salary increment for the state workers by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was not political.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who said this at an interactive session with newsmen in Ikeja on Sunday, refuted some negative insinuations in some quarters that the recent salary increment was nothing but a mere political gimmick to win the forthcoming general election.

The commissioner said such insinuations were baseless, considering the fact that the state, governed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) since the return of civil rule in the country, had been setting the pace for others to follow.

Omotoso said no matter the percentage of the increment, anyone putting more money in a person’s pocket was doing the person a whole lot of good.

“The governor is saying that we appreciate the service you are providing and despite the fact that things are so hard, you are still carrying on and you are putting smiles on the faces of residents who are coming to government offices.

“No matter how low or high the percentage may be, I think the symbolism is that at this particular time,  the governor feels that workers deserve a raise and he has pronounced it.

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“And if you listen to him very well, he said he has instructed the office of the  Head of Service, Establishment, State Treasury Office to come together to look at this and see what the numbers are and see how we can go, but that workers are now going to a pay rise is a forgone conclusion.

“I think the whole world is hailing him for doing that but if people are now saying it is for political reasons, let so many people in position of authority also do so for political reason and raise salary,” he said.

The commissioner added that apart from the salary increment, many projects were currently waiting for inauguration in the state.

He said the state government had over 30 schools to be inaugurated, and also housing projects, including jetties for inauguration before the end of 2022.

”We are building the infrastructure for the Blue Line Rail system that will take passengers from Marina to Mile 2.

”We also have the Red Line that will convey passengers from Oyingbo to Alagbado, both of them will be ready at the end of this year.

”Few day ago, we saw the trains for the red line arrive at the port, that shows that rail project that we are working on is an alternative and it is a linkage among all models of transportation.

”If you check the records you will see that more people are now using our waterways because they have seen that it is safe and faster.

”We now have more routes and we are also building more water jetties in Badagry, Ikorodu and other divisions of the state,” Omotoso said.

The Star