President Muhammadu Buhari says he has been working hard to ensure that the nation gets a new National Minimum Wage Act as soon as possible.

He stated this on Tuesday while receiving the report of the Tripartite Committee on Review of National Minimum Wage at the State House in Abuja.

“I am fully committed to having a new National Minimum Wage Act in the very near future,” said the President who explained the rationale behind the decision to set up the committee.

“On November 27, 2017, I inaugurated the National Minimum Wage Committee with a mandate to recommend a new minimum wage for the workers of our country.”

President Buhari explained further, “This exercise became necessary for many reasons. The last review took place in 2011. We all know since then the prices of key consumables have increased and the most vulnerable of our workers are struggling to make ends meet…”

In a bid to ensure workers are well taken care of, President Buhari said his administration supported state governments to pay salaries and set up a committee to review the minimum wage of workers.

The President said he was not surprised that the committee has worked for close to one year and that the debates got heated on a few occasions.

He was delighted that in almost all instances of disagreements, the committee members still came back to the negotiating table with a common goal of improving the welfare of workers.

President Buhari commended the members of the committee for their commitment and sacrifice in getting the nation to its present state.

•Excerpted from a Channels TV report

•President Buhari holding the report of the Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage at the State House on November 6, 2018.