Why I said sex workers deserve more pay – Miriam Ogbonna

Nollywood actress, Miriam Ogbonna, has defended her controversial statement that sex workers deserve better pay, saying her comment was meant to expose hypocrisy in society, not promote prostitution.

Speaking in an interview with Saturday Beats, Ogbonna said many Nigerians publicly condemn prostitution while secretly sustaining it through patronage.

“As much as we frown at certain things, it won’t make them stop. In the case of prostitution, if there is no patronage, these girls will find other means of livelihood. But when we criticise them publicly while some men secretly patronise them, to what end?” she said.

She maintained that her remark was aimed at highlighting what she described as double standards.

“My message was simply to call out hypocrisy. Since some men won’t stop patronising them, they might as well pay them well, because their job is not an easy one,” she added.

Reacting to the backlash that followed her comments, the actress said she was not surprised, describing social media as a space where many people pretend to be morally upright.

“Social media is filled with self-righteous people who do the worst things in the dark. Everyone claims to be a saint online,” she said.

Beyond the controversy, Ogbonna said she continues to balance acting and scriptwriting, noting that she produces her best work in solitude.

“When I’m alone, I get my best ideas,” she said.