All Progressives Congress chieftain and herbal practitioner Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, has dismissed calls for a boycott of her herbal balm, insisting that her livelihood does not depend solely on the business.
Arike made the remarks in a viral video while responding to criticism over her continued sale of the product.
She displayed some of her properties, businesses and community projects as evidence of her investments and other sources of income.
She said, “If you say you want to stop me from selling Ero Arike today, hunger will not kill me. Never, ever! There is no hunger.”
The APC chieftain said she had built several houses in Iragbiji, Osun State, which she claimed were intended to provide accommodation for students.
“If I should count the houses I built for students in Iragbiji, I will count 16,” she said, adding that some of the buildings were almost ready for occupation.
Arike also showed a school building she said she was constructing in the community, promising to equip it with solar power and a water supply to provide students with a conducive learning environment.
She further displayed what she described as her registered business premises and a truck belonging to her business, while disclosing that she also owns farms and other investments.
“Ero Arike isn’t just a small market setup. This is Ero Arike’s registered property. Look at this truck! By God’s power, this truck belongs to us,” she said.
Arike, however, said her main concern was the impact a boycott could have on people who depend on the sale of her products, particularly widows and other vendors.
“I can never suffer. It is the widows and those hawking my balm you shouldn’t let suffer,” she said.
She also disclosed that she had seven farms in Ore and described herself as a hardworking woman who had built her businesses over several years.
The herbal practitioner further defended her products, claiming they were effective in treating various ailments and promising to refund customers who were dissatisfied with their results.
She said she had maintained a public profile for about 31 years without having her reputation tarnished, while also linking her remarks to the recent Osun State governorship election and the performance of the APC candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
