Subsidy: Kano Commercial Sex Workers Groan Over Low Patronage

Commercial sex workers in Kano State have expressed frustration over low patronage occasioned by economic hardship in the country.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government has led to crushing inflation in Nigeria.

The sex workers expressed their pains while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

They said that now resorted to lobbying customers to do “business” with them at very ridiculous charges.

Ms Mercy Benjamin told NAN that before now, a round of “short time” service could be settled with N5,000 within a time frame of one hour, but the biting effects of fuel subsidy removal had forced customers to disappear.

Benjamin said one round of sex now goes for as low as between N500 and N700 for the same services.

“Things are not really going on well with this business for now because of the present economic challenges we are facing,” she said.

Another sex worker who identified herself as Jennifer, told NAN that it is no longer business as usual for them, saying “My brother, business is no longer moving as it used to be.

“Things have become so hard that if you see more than three customers in one day, you will thank God. Customers are hard to come by, and when they come, the offer is nothing to write home about.

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“In this very particular room, I pay N5,000 every day; and I must confess to you that I am owing the management three days debt now because of low patronage.

“Before fuel subsidy removal, we were enjoying high patronage with good prices. Those days, I used to attend to seven to ten customers every day with good prices ranging between N5,000 and N10,000 for short-term services.

“This is apart from other incentives like good food, drinks, chicken, Isi-ewu and other goodies that customers provide of their own volition.

“Unlike now when customers hardly come to hang out in the evening, we used to have customers on daybreak ready to offer well above N20,000 and also take care of your accommodation, food and drinks. This is really hard times for us,” she said.

Jennifer further stated that most of her colleagues who could not pay for their rooms have returned home in penury.

“Some of them left without their property as the hotel management seized their clothes and electronics because of the money they owed.

“We that are still here are surviving through the grace of God,” she explained.