{LETTER TO THE EDITOR} Prostitution, A Societal Ill On Our Campuses

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The growing rate of prostitution in our tertiary institution is becoming a cause for serious concern.

It is not strange that businessmen, politicians, yahoo boys as well as highly-placed men in the society are the major customers patronising these set of wayward female students.

When you visit female hostels at night, you will be amazed at the kinds of men with their exotic cars that are coming in numbers to pick up these young undergraduates for sex and other illegal cum abnormal activities.

Viewing this matter, one of the main reasons for this mischievous act is “Poverty”. The first excuse that is given for prostitution as gathered is poverty. Young ladies whose parents are incapable of taking care of them and their siblings tend to go into prostitution so as to make ends meet.

Peer pressure is another reason for indulging in this immoral act, as ladies are pressurised into this illicit trade because their friends are into it and they do not let them know the dangers involved, so they ignorantly succumb, thus constituting nuisance to the society.

Laziness also adds to the numerous reasons why some ladies venture into prostitution, as they are naturally lazy expecting unknown men to cater for their needs. They want to live the high life, buy expensive clothes, live in a penthouses, use the latest gadgets and designers and appear posh.

Looking at this, if the tertiary institutions can make laws to prohibit this ill-practice on our campuses and arrest anybody caught in the act by handing them over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution, will reduce it to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated.

Religious bodies and clerics also need to up their antes as constant remembrance in their sermons is essential such that our youths will abhor wayward living and embrace the teachings from the holy scriptures.

Parents also have a significant role to play in stopping or reducing sex trade on campuses by teaching their children good morals from home and trying to meet the needs of their children in school, as this is expected of them as parents.

The government also is not helping matters with the rate of youth unemployment for the mindset of most of these girls are that when they graduate, their chance of being unemployed is relatively high and instead of just sitting down at home they engage in this ungodly act called prostitution.

• david adejuwon, Osogbo.