TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the signing of the minimum wage into law as another election promise delivered.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the national minimum wage bill into law on Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC’s national publicity secretary, described Buhari’s assent to the law as another demonstration of a president “who matches his words with action”.

He commended Buhari, saying the welfare of workers has always been a top priority for the president.

He also congratulated the stakeholders who made the “laudable feat” possible.

“The All Progressives Congress commends President Muhammadu Buhari on his assent to the new and improved N30,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers,” he said

“Truly, our workers deserve a new, improved and implementable minimum wage in view of current economic realities.

“Commendably, the welfare of workers has remained a top priority of the President Buhari-led APC administration as exhibited in the Federal Government’s bailouts to state governments to pay workers salary, housing schemes for civil servants among other welfare packages.

“We congratulate stakeholders that ensured the achievement of this laudable feat, particularly the National Assembly, state governors, the Amma Pepple-led tripartite committee, labour/trade unions and indeed Nigerian workers.

“This is another solid demonstration of a President who matches his words with action. Nigerians will recall the President had several times assured workers of a new and improved national minimum wage for workers.

“The assent of the N30,000 minimum wage by the president is indeed another election promise delivered.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had led the campaign for an upward review of minimum wage from N18,000.

The NLC had initially proposed N63,000 minimum wage which was later reduced to N30,000. Following this, some governors complained that paying the N30, 000 will make states go bankrupt.

But the NLC had insisted on N30,000, rejecting an earlier proposal of N24,000 by the federal government and N22,500 by states.