An illustration
Although
they have lived side by side for many years, residents of some
neighbourhoods in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital appear to be getting
tired of the brothels in their areas.
In fact, a recent pronouncement by the
state government that it intends to rid residential areas of brothels
has fuelled the silent feud.
A woman who lives at Ekotedo and identified herself Mama Joy captures the mood of the neighbours of these brothels.
“Government’s decision is the mind of God. How do you explain a lady taking to prostitution as a means of livelihood?
“It is just too bad and as well very
ungodly. To advise them is not easy since they have become hardened.
They didn’t just start the trade today. When you call them to counsel
them, they will insult you and ask you if you will shoulder their
responsibilities.
“They will tell you the country is hard.
They will tell you men are not ready to marry them. They will tell you
they have no job. Some of them will even tell you that the job is
lucrative. How do you help someone like that?”
She said that their presence in the community had become an eyesore and a bad influence.
She said, “Unfortunately, they see
prostitution as a way of life. They enjoy it and they corrupt the minds
of other young people who see them and copy their lifestyle. In this
environment, you have to monitor your children very closely; especially
the girls.
“You know they say that evil company
corrupts good manners. These ladies who are into prostitution always sit
outside or go about almost naked. The young kids see them and are
fascinated.
“They watch the male clients of these
prostitutes come in and go out every time. They see people smoking and
drinking to stupor all the time. They see people fighting over sex
partners every time and witness other obscene sights everyday. It has
become a way of life and it is not good.”
According to the state government, the
clampdown on brothels operating in residential areas is necessary to
curb their influence on young persons. The state Commissioner for the
Environment and Habitat, Lowo Obisesan, had told the News Agency of
Nigeira on January 4, 2013 that the action was to discourage the state
government was set to shut brothels in residential areas around the
state.
This was followed by an ultimatum expected to lapse by the end of January.
“Operating brothels in residential areas
shows irresponsibility on the part of the owners, who do not care about
the impact on children, who are exposed to such acts of indecency.
“Reports from the affected communities
have reached us because parents abhor the acts of immodesty shown to
their children as the result of the existence of such brothels,”
Obisesan told NAN.
But one of the sex workers who
introduced herself as Tina said news of the impending clampdown and the
support of the residents for the move had set them on edge.
Tina, who gave her age as 16 and some of
her colleagues expressed fears that their eviction would deny them of
their only source of livelihood.
The young lady, who told our
correspondent that she got into prostitution a year ago as a result of
the death of her parents, said she got to Ibadan a year ago from her
native Delta State.
“I have to do this job in spite of the
high risk involved in order to keep body and soul together. I have been
at this brothel ever since my arrival in this city.
“This brothel has been here for many years. Why do they want to send us away now? What have we done to them?
“I pay N500 as rent at the brothel
everyday. My room is just big enough to contain my small bed and a few
other personal effects like bags, clothes, makeup and cooking utensils.
“I use the money I make from this work
to pay my rent, feed, buy clothes and take care of other daily needs. I
also engage in daily savings.
“If we are sent away now, where do we go?” she asked.
Another sex worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said their lodgings were old and poorly maintained.
She added, “Usually, the rooms are
poorly ventilated but our customers manage to use the place anyway since
it is for short time. But we don’t know why government is asking us to
leave the place since they are not the owners of these buildings and
they are not going to take over the houses.”
Some of the brothels visited by our
correspondent are situated in the business areas of Ekotedo, Queen
Cinema and Sabo area of Mokola, Ibadan, where items such as computers,
computer accessories, electronics and clothes are sold.
Two of the popular brothels are situated
close to two big beer depots in Ekotedo. Beside the beer depots are
pockets of small drinking joints where men and women unwind daily.
Activities usually surge at the drinking
joints near the brothels in the evenings, especially on weekends. A
commercial bus driver who gave his alias as Baba Ishan said that the
proximity of drinking joints to brothels was a “wise business decision.”
He said, “Some people will like to step down with fun (sex) after they are through with drinking.”
The brothels are usually old buildings
with small rooms and a small reception. The brothels, located either
beside the road or in a corner within the residential areas, are usually
awash with loud music, thick cigarette smoke and lights of various
colours.
Charming and sparsely dressed ladies
from ages 15 to 50 often line the corridors and balconies as from 6pm
when “customers” begin to trickle in till late night when the arena is
filled.
The sight is exciting to school pupils
who dance to the sound of the music wafting from the brothels.
Occasionally, some of them run errands for the ladies; most times they
quickly run to get cigarettes for customers, a resident said.
A Primary 5 pupil, Ade, who reluctantly
spoke with our correspondent, said, “I don’t know whether I like them to
be moved away or not. I like them because they are friendly but my
mother always prevents me from running errands for them.”
Another pupil, who gave her name as Rita simply said, “I don’t like prostitutes” and then ran away.
Rita is a pupil of a school located
almost 500 metres away from one of the brothels. Close to other brothels
are some private schools.
A house wife, Tonia, said, “I hate to
live here. Others live here too. I don’t like what they do but I try to
train my child very well.”
Another woman, Mama Bukola, said she had been living close to one of the brothels for a long time.
“I don’t like what they do but there is
nothing I can do about it. I am not a prostitute and my daughters are
not into prostitution. When you pray and bring up your children properly
they will not go into prostitution.
“The removal of these brothels will give
us rest of mind in this area. We are happy about government’s plan to
evict them,” she said.
Another parent, Mr. Tony Chukwuma,
agreed that brothels in residential areas should be shut down but he
advised that government should rehabilitate the sex workers. Chukwuma
reasoned that unless that was done the decision would create a problem
of resettling the sex workers. “Moving the sex workers from the
metropolis alone cannot solve the problem of immorality. The society is
corrupt in every sense and sexual perversion is just one of the many
vices. Relocating them will only shift attention of those who patronise
the brothels from one area of the city to the other.
“A total ban on prostitution would have
been the best way out to save the society and especially the youth from
social perversion. As we commend the government for its courage in
flushing the sex workers out of the metropolis, they still need to do
something about prostitution in general,” he counselled.
A private school teacher working in
Mokola area of Ibadan, Mrs. Teju Olawale, told our correspondent that
brothels within residential areas we an eyesore which should be
eradicated.
She said that the presence of brothels in residential and school areas was harmful to education and development.
Olawale said, “Every learner should have
a sound mind which is neither polluted nor distracted. The minds of
pupils living in such an environment will be tuned towards vices and
they would not be able to concentrate on their studies. All they will be
hearing is bad music; they will be accustomed to bad dressing and all
other vices such as drinking and smoking.”
The Chairman, Ibadan North West Local
Government, Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, explained that allowing these
commercial sex workers “in residential areas will pollute the minds of
ladies and young boys. We held a meeting with their coordinators and
proprietors to agree on government decision.
“Go to places like Ekotedo, Queen Cinema
area and you won’t be happy at the sight you will meet. You can imagine
the kind of life that children raised in such places face everyday. We
have given the sex workers till the end of the month. Those who violate
the order shall be forcefully moved.”
When contacted, the spokesman for the
state police command, Mr. Ayodele Lanade, said, “I cannot comment yet on
government’s decision to close down brothels in residential areas
because I have not been around in the state for some time now.
“However, the state government has not
formally informed us about the decision to evict sex workers from
residential areas. We cannot act until we are carried along. But, I can
assure you that the command will not fail in its duties.”
Punch
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