Thursday, 6 December 2012

Price Hike For Commercial Sex Workers

The festive season is here again and everybody is doing everything best to make it memorable. For commercial sex workers, popularly known as prostitutes, it is time to use what they have to get what they want.

Just as prices of goods and services have gone up, the legion of women in the bed-to-wealth business have also hiked the price of their services.

Prostitutes, especially those who are resident in brothels have doubled their charges.

This was revealed when DailyPost visited some selected brothels in the commercial city of Lagos. While some new comers in the business are lamenting that people no longer patronize them because of the new hike in price, others are of the opinion that it was a welcome development, stressing that it is not a threat to them.

According to a top member of the Association of Nigerian Prostitutes who wouldn’t want her name mentioned, the new increment would enable its members meet up with their end of the year targets.

She said: “we didn’t do that to punish anybody; we all agreed to increase our price this season. If you check very well, some things in the market have gone up, it is not the price we bought rice in January that we are buying now, virtually everything has gone up. So it is not a crime if we increase our price for just this season,”she said.

The young lady in her late 30s who claimed she’s from Enugu state added that it was agreed during their national meeting.

It was during the national meeting we came up with that idea of new price and end of the year promo for customers.

Asked what they would use in compensating their customers this festive season, the fair complexioned lady said: “Our customers know how we do it, but this year it is going to be different. Aside offering them free sex as part of the end of the year promo, we still have other things in stock for them especially our recognized and registered customers.
When probed further on what they will give them, the lady angrily said: “All these questions self, if na f**k you want drop money make I nack you wella". All this time wey you dey take ask me we for don go like 3 rounds sef. If you really want to be part of the end of the year free sex promo, just register and you will enjoy all the benefits.

On the newly fixed price, the lady said it depends on areas: “In places like Ikoyi, Lekki and V/I, the charges are more because of the kind of people living in those areas. But in places like Ejigbo, Obalende or Oshodi the charges will be low. But the new law this season is that you don’t charge below 500 hundred naira per round.”

On how they would know if any members is charging below the agreed price, the lady who claimed she’s been in the business for 13 years said: “That is simple now, especially for those in brothels, if you are not yet established, you still deliver some amount to the person that introduced you into the business. We’ve had some situation whereby if you bring someone and the person gets a good customer, she will just forget you. But now we have a new law, if I bring you, there is a certain amount you will deliver either on weekly on a daily basis.

Like now, I have like seven girls in the business and they all pay me some certain percentage every week.
I only do outside job, I no longer stay in a hotel.

Recently I was in Kano to service a top politician there.

When this reporter became so inquisitive to know who the politician is, the lady said: “Wait oo, why all this question sef, shey na because of the bottle of Legend cigarette na em make you wan carry question kill me? I no dey talk again until you pay me.”

But this idea is not comfortable for Sharon, another 20-year-old prostitute who came into the business in July, she confirmed the that there’s hike in price. “Me I’m no longer comfortable with idea of hiking our price. As I’m talking to you now, no customer has even patronized me and I have target to meet.

“I’m traveling before Christmas and I don’t have much on ground. I just tire”.

Asked why she opted to prostitution while they are other jobs out there, the diminutive lady said: “I have OND in Catering and Hotel management, but when I applied here for a job and they didn’t offer me, my contact told me about this job and I found myself in it.

Through this job, I have bought a bus and sponsoring my younger ones in school. I don’t regret going into the business, God sef know say job no dey town.

This reporter visited another popular brothel in Oshodi but stakeholders in the flesh trade industry declined comment, saying that they are not aware of the new price hike.

Another 45-year-old grandma observed that the new increment has really affected their business. She said that with the planned end of the year free sex bonanza, they expected customers to patronize them. “Business is no longer going as usual and I think the reason is because we effected our price, ours shouldn’t be exception because it is common everywhere.

Everything has gone up because of the festive period. They should consider the stress we go through in servicing them, it not easy.” She argued.

On when will the promo take place, she said, “That one is exclusive to our customers, if you are interested, just let us know.”

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