Selling akara is better than prostitution, Oyintiloye backs Remi Tinubu

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Olatunbosun Oyintiloye on Tuesday said selling akara is better than prostitution, as he defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s recent remarks encouraging women to embrace small businesses.

Oyintiloye spoke in Ibokun, Obokun Local Government Area in Osun State during an event marking his birthday. He said the gesture was part of efforts to reinforce the first lady’s initiative encouraging women to participate in small-scale businesses.

He said the intervention aimed to promote the dignity of labour and support women in starting small enterprises.

The APC chieftain criticised those who faulted the first lady’s advocacy for ventures such as selling roasted corn and kulikuli, saying they overlooked the value of honest work.

According to him, small and medium enterprises remain important to economic growth and provide livelihoods for many families.

He also said critics of the First Lady were seeking political relevance instead of recognising the long-term benefits of encouraging entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

“There are many people who rose to the peak of their careers through petty trading, such as selling tomatoes and roasted corn.

“Today, their stories have changed, and they are now employers of labour.

“Starting small, as being encouraged by the wife of the President, is far better than engaging in prostitution or other illicit acts,” he said.

Oyintiloye said the support for widows in his hometown of Ibokun was intended to reinforce the message that people should embrace self-reliance by starting small businesses.

He described the initiative as a practical demonstration of the biblical injunction in James 1:27, which encourages believers to care for widows and vulnerable members of society.

The beneficiaries received between N30,000 and N50,000 each, with Oyintiloye urging them to use the money to start petty trading businesses and improve their livelihoods.

Also speaking at the event, the immediate past chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Osun State, Pastor Benjamin Fabelurin, said birthday celebrations and personal reflection are rooted in biblical teachings.

Quoting Psalm 90:12-17, he urged Christians to number their days with wisdom and live purposeful lives that make a positive impact.