OPINION! Why Some Benue girls are rated as prostitutes by Tor Shiekuma Felix

By Tor Shiekuma Felix

In the course of gallivanting about the country, I bumped into human race with multifarious ethnicity; varied social backdrop and manifold political affiliations. Furthermore, I had a jaw-dropping experience that amidst all ethnic groups in Nigeria, prostitution is condoned as a way of life (culture); it is no longer a social vice. It is now a lucrative business; entrepreneurship and a profession of its own.

Benue state is a receptacle of captivating; gorgeous and shaggy girls, richly endowed with natural resources that could make them comfortable as human beings. Certainly, every right thinking man around the globe would love to have Benue girl as a spouse. However, the aerospace is clogged with unofficial scoop that Benue damsels are the most promiscuous in Nigeria.

Thereupon, I vehemently gave thumbs down to come to terms with this unsanctioned information and I would always unfurl my defensive mechanisms anywhere to stick up for my people.  In essence, I found this pill so hard to swallow. Nevertheless, my little exposure outside Benue state had propelled me to come in harmony with an aphorism which says “in every rumour there must be element of truth”.  They are reasons that make this rumour nothing but the truth.

Extreme love for money
The love for money has propelled most Benue girls to turn their wonderfully and fearfully made bodies into registered business ventures that accept all sorts of customers, sans inspecting class or level. They exchange their integrity, respect and reputation with legal tender. But how much will it cost you to buy your integrity? This is emanating from their canal and perverse desires to catch up with latest dress fashions, purchase splashy smart phones and live luxuriously. If you peregrinated round the major cities of Nigeria, active customers of brothels hails from Benue state.  Don’t be perplexed to see them with up-to-date directories of all Alhajis and sweet daddies residing in such towns. Still at that, I overheard most of them backing up this costly behaviour with feeble rationales that every right thinking human being will not acknowledge.. Benue girls are synonym of money. However, every living being treasures money and needs it to get things done but not to the point of selling the temple of God (Body).

Poverty
Abject poverty is another critical factor that shoves some wimp Benue girls into illegal and unethical business of prostitution. Our government has no designed programmes and initiatives that would empower these colleens to live a self-sustained life. Instead of building skills and acquisition centers for these lassies; they are committed to rising splendorous hotel buildings in every street of the state. This is a well polished avenue for luring undiscerning girls into prostitution. As a result, some don’t even have means of catering for their education and they felt prostitution is the best path to prosperity. However, poverty should not be an excuse for prostitution because complete orphans (no father and mother) who were living in the pool of poverty meant their spouses as virgins. A determined and focused girl would explore every available honorable opportunity that presents it to make money for her survival. Why not be one of them?

Clubbing
Night clubs and parties are social settings that help Benue girls to advertise and sell out their heavily endowed resources. Also, these are avenues where gold diggers and debutantes explore to grease their itching palms. Indeed, clubs are emporium where sex is bargained and negotiated like any other commodity. Many bargainers come around and whoever gives recommendable amount received pro rata services overnight. This sometimes leads to physical combats and even death among bargainers. They put on skintight; transparent and sexually motivated apparels that would arrest available lascivious men.  It has become a daily routine for them. I have never bumped into category of girls that treasured night clubs like Benue girls. Furthermore, don’t be surprise that they drink more than men; they can finish cartoons of beer within a blink of an eye. However, I will so much appreciate if they reconsider the implication of this on their lives.

Family pressure
Most poverty-stricken families in Benue state consider their female children as fixed assets that supposed to be pumping money for the family welfare. What to eat, wear and money for children school fees are expected to be gotten from female children. Moreover, if you seems to be uninterested they threaten even to disown you with a curse. These are lassies managing blue-collar jobs.  As a result of family pressures most chicken-hearted girls consider prostitution a good means for meeting up with their families’ demands. I do hear parents say “most girls at your age are feeding their parents, what are doing in this regard?”  However, a girl who is of age should be brave enough to politely rebuke her parents who are pressuring her to lose her value and relevance through prostitution. Moreover, dutiful parents, no matter what, ought to be bread winners of their families, not their children. Although children could as well provide for their families within their capacities, but it should not be at the tender age.

Indecent dressing
The manner at which you dress so shall you be addressed. A Lolita who dresses indecorously is never acknowledged as a saint but a tart. Also, indecent dressing is an obvious advertisement medium of its own; it is a way of informing philanderers that natural products are available for patronage. This is accompanied with half-naked garbs such as spaghetti tops, leggings; skinny jeans and many others. If you have been to tertiary institutions in Benue State you will faithfully fall in line with me that indecent dressing has done an irreparable harm to Benue girls. Moreover, they have extended this uncultured attitude to our places of worship. Notwithstanding, indecent dressing is not a virtue; it is a vice, and hookers are only identified by vulgar dresses.

Lack of contentment
Be of one mind with me that most Benue street workers and customers of bawdy houses are from well-stocked families; they are educated and indoctrinated. On the contrary, some are not well-heeled but are not living from-hand -to-mouth.  Yet, discontentment has a way of driving them into crappy business of whoredom. This becomes doable immediately they start measuring and correlating their standard of living with others, who seems to living extravagantly. Mostly, hunger for pricey creams, snazzy foot wears; cosmetics and fashionable dresses aid girls to weigh themselves with others. However, a contented lady is ever comfortable with his social and economic status, and this prevents her from unnecessarily worldly desires that are capable of obliterating her womanhood. Moreover, the bible says in 1Timothy 6:6 that “but godliness with contentment is great gain”.

Bad company
As social beings, Benue girls would love to identify with their peer groups, sans taking to heart the nature of such groups. Many of these groups are not morally sound and upright rather an aggregation of sex workers, always chatting about sex, money and boyfriends. In the course of their interactions, standards are set on what to wear, hairstyle etc and for the reason of conformity, innocent girls would yield to these relationship requirements and join them in their objectionable way of life.–prostitution. Nevertheless, a rational and visionary Benue lady should be able to fathom groups that would impact and add value to her life.

Lack of the fear of God
The fear of God restrains people from conforming to the pattern of the world and its pleasures. However, most of Benue girls fear and acknowledge their boyfriends more than God, who is their creator. Any religious gathering is a no-go-area for them; they preferred rocking parties on Christian fellowship days than going to church. Even if they attend fellowships they are motive is to have a new catch. As a result, a lady that is caged in the fear God does not perceive herself as a temple of God, not a business venture.
In case you mistakenly and unconsciously indulge yourself in this irksome attitude of prostitution, consider quitting it without consultation because it is an express path to destruction and condemnation. Your deliberate actions alone will attract forgiveness from God and aid in restoring deteriorated reputation of Benue State.
Tor Shiekuma Felix is a columnist on Benue.com.ng