Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, said the N30,000 minimum wage proposal contained in the report of the tripartite committee set up by the Federal Government was still a recommendation.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari would still consider the report which was on Tuesday presented to him by the chairman, Amal Pepple, and then take a decision on it.

Pepple had while presenting the report on Tuesday disclosed that the committee recommended that the national minimum wage be increased from N18,000 monthly to N30,000.

She had said her committee also drafted a bill that the Federal Government would send to the National Assembly to effect the change.

A section of the media had reported that Buhari had accepted the report and endorsed the recommendation of N30,000 as the new minimum wage.

Mohammed, however, said Buhari would only take a decision and make his view known after considering the report.

“I think it (N30,000) was a recommendation. Mr. President will consider it and will make his views known in due course,” the minister said.

When pressed further, Mohammed said, “I said a recommendation was submitted. Mr. President will get back to the committee after he has studied the recommendation.”

On whether the revenue sharing formula might be reviewed if the new minimum wage is approved to enable the states to pay, the minister said, “Once again, like I said, a recommendation has been made and in responding to the recommendation, all these views will be taken into consideration.”

The committee’s report will still be presented before the National Economic Council and the Council of State before a decision will be made.

Once a decision is taken, the Federal Government will send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly.