In this report, AANU ADEGUN, Naij.com's Editor writes about the plights of Lagos prostitutes during this year’s Yuletide.
A popular brothel called 7up, which is on the same road with the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun area of Lagos state, can be best described as lifeless when Jaykbest.com paid a visit to its cigarette-smoke filled bar on Christmas eve.
To a casual observer, everything was in order because the brothel was not without its flamboyant paraphernalia of coloured lights, blaring music and assortment of enticing and scantily-dressed prostitutes.
But to regular visitors to brothels, things were not well. Intimacy was not in the air and that was the lifeline of brothels and motels.
The observation was confirmed immediately Hawa, a friendly prostitute with a nice shape who Jaykbest.com's reporter had met earlier at a banking hall in Ikotun came around.
Hawa, in response to question on the general situation of things on the job, waved her right hand at the low turn-out and gloomy look of waiting prostitutes and said “Buhari has finished us.”
After sipping from her favourite big stout drink which the bar man brought over without an order from her, she went on to tell Jaykbest.com how the Christmas has been a disaster for all the girls.
She said:
"If money no dey for Christmas, wetin men wan spend for we wey be ashawo? In all the 5 years that I have been here, this is our worst Christmas.
"All the guys you are seeing now are only here to drink, smoke and enjoy the vibe. They are not coming in to relieve themselves of the extra sperm they carry about. Even those who want it badly are giving us low prices.
"It’s really a terrible situation. The recession is really harming us all. And na that Buhari cause am. Imagine me that used to have customers round the clock during Christmas and New Year period cannot even boast of one customer now.
"I am not sure those guys who always pay extra money to shout ‘Happy New Year’ inside me will even be coming this year. Buhari no do am well at all."
Jaykbest.com's observation confirmed Hawa’s submission. Despite low turnout, there were men around, smoking, drinking, and watching a replay match on the television, but there were no price wrangling at a corner and no guys were talking with girls in the passage - the girls were just there, loittering, waiting and hoping as the music blared.
A quick visit to two other brothels in the same vicinity showed that the situation was similar in all the three brothels.
In one of the brothels, a pretty, fair-complexioned prostitute urged Jaykbest.com reporter to part with a paltry N800 for a quick one while claiming she gave such an abysmal price because she needed to make something for the festivities.
She also said that there was nothing like 'promo' in her dictionary because that there are already low turn out of men.
The lady who identified herself as Tina also said that in all her years in the prostituting business, this year’s Christmas’ eve was the worst of all. She vehemently blamed President Buhari for the ugly situation.
Tina, who spoke in pidgin English, said:
"Na wa o. Nobody believe say Christmas wey dey bubble before fit be like this o and if no be for that yeye president wey we get for this country, things no go bad like this. When Jonathan dey there, people dey enjoy. That time, for Christmas time like this, business dey move well well. I dey get customer well well. But na only 4 people wey don follow me enter room today. How ashawo wan make money when people no come do? Which kin yeye promo you even dey talk about self?
"No be him cause this recession abi no be him government?”, she said in response to the reporter’s interruption. “The thing wey dey even pain me be say, I don get budget for January next year and I no sure say I fit meet the target now. You see, I no go forgive that Buhari if I no meet my target.
"As the thing dey vex me reach, my brother wey dey support Buhari for our town call me say make I send am money, na curse I curse am. The Buhari wey him support na him spoil business for ashawo now. The man don finish us.
The pain voiced by the prostitutes above reflect the true situation of prostitutes across Lagos.
When Jaykbest.com also visited Ojuelegba area of Lagos state on Christmas Day, it was also the same story of low turnout in the different brothels and motels visited.
Judith, a prostitute who also spoke to Jaykbest.com only after demanding payment for her ‘precious time’, said that the downturn in the country’s economy was the reason for the low patronage of prostitutes during this year’s Christmas.
She blamed President Buhari for the ugly situation, describing the situation as ‘unprecedented’ in the history of prostitutes in Nigeria to suffer such low turnout during festive season.
"I won’t deceive you; this is probably the worst Christmas ashawo people in Nigeria will be celebrating and for Lagos here, our own still even better. My friend wey dey do ashawo business for Abeokuta don nearly die.
"She call me for phone this afternoon say, she don do only 3 men since yesterday. Imagine and all of them na short time. How much that money go be? For Christmas o, eh! Buhari! Buhari!"
From all the submissions above, indeed, 2016 Christmas has not gone well for Lagos prostitutes and even Nigeria at large but the pink ladies are hopeful that other Christmases which will come their way in the nearest future would be better.
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