APC Chieftain backs First Lady’s Akara remark, gives cash support to widows

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, on Tuesday provided cash support to widows, describing the gesture as part of efforts to reinforce the initiative championed by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to encourage women’s participation in small-scale businesses.

Speaking during the event in Ibokun, Oyintiloye said the intervention, which was part of the activities to mark his birthday, was aimed at promoting the dignity of labour and supporting women to start small enterprises.

He criticised those faulting the First Lady’s advocacy for small-scale ventures such as the sale of roasted corn and kulikuli, saying such views ignored the value and fulfilment inherent in honest work.

According to him, economic growth is sustained by the strength of small and medium-scale enterprises, noting that many families depend on such ventures for survival.

He added that critics of the First Lady were merely seeking political relevance and failing to acknowledge the long-term benefits of encouraging entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

“There are many people who became very successful in business, through petty trading, such as selling tomatoes and roasted corn.

“Today, their stories have changed, and they l eventually become 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 explained that the support for widows in his hometown of Ibokun was intended to further emphasise the importance of starting small and being self-reliant.

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

He urged beneficiaries to utilise the cash donations, ranging from N30,000 to N50,000, to establish small businesses and earn decent living.

In his sermon at the event, the immediate past Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Obokun local government area chapter, Pastor Benjamin Fabelurin, said birthday celebrations and personal reflection are biblically grounded and divinely inspired.

Quoting Psalm 90:12–17, he urged Christians to number their days with wisdom and commit themselves to purposeful living and positive impact.