7th August, 2012
It has been a challenging period for operators of eateries, popularly called fast food restaurants as well as relaxation spots in some parts of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, as they now witness poor patronage sales since the fasting period began over two weeks ago.
The Ramadan is the holy period for Muslims and it is considered a period to get close to God and abstain from sinful lifestyle.
A visit to some of the eateries and markets in Lagos at the weekend showed that there has been a drop in patronage as some traders complained that they no longer make profit as they used to make daily.
Brothels are not left out of the patronage drought. P.M.NEWS learnt that some of the sex workers in the brothel explained that the situation had become bad as customers now take advantage of the Ramadan period to slash the usual price for their service.
When P.M. NEWS visited a hotel, which parades pretty ladies, Faith and some of her colleagues, wearing skimpy and see-through clothes, manned the entrance to the hotel for hours trying their luck.
“It’s been like this since the Ramadan started. Some of my colleagues do not even get customers again and it is worse for those who are not attractive,” Faith said.
“Before the Ramadan, I could boast of at least four male customers per night, but now, you are just the first person since yesterday,” she told our reporter, adding that she could consider N2,000 as against the normal N5,000 to N8,000 she collects per round of sex depending on the status of the customer.
At Ipodo and Alausa areas of Ikeja which have some brothels, P.M. NEWS also learnt that the prostitutes have reduced the price for sex to between N500 and N700 per round.
Ruth, one of the commercial sex workers in Ipodo said the amount charged at this period season is not constant.
“In three days, I have made only N4,000 and I must feed, buy clothes, look good and pay my rent. How do I cope if I don’t reduce the fee?
“Like yesterday, out of the four customers I had, only one could even pay N700. One of them gave me N250 and I collect am because of another day,” she explained further.
Close to Allen Avenue Junction, and behind a popular hotel on Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, commercial sex workers were seen on Saturday night idling away while exposing parts of their bodies.
At the two brothels located behind the Iyana-Ipaja market, though customers were seen around, the sex workers still complained that the patronage had dwindled and that most of the customers visiting the brothels were only taking advantage of the current situation.
“Many of them don’t have enough money to take us in. They know we would accept them when we don’t find any customer with better money,” Christy, a sex worker told P.M. NEWS. At a hotel located around Animashaun Street in Ejigbo, a suburb of Lagos, the situation was the same as the place witnessed low turn-out of customers when P.M.NEWS correspondent visited.
One of the sales boys explained that even the sale of alcoholic drinks had reduced drastically since the fasting period began.
While business activities were very low for prostitutes at another hotel located on Kunisfa Street, Gbagada, it was not the same at the one on Olowojeunjeje Street, where young girls converge for ‘business’ in Ajegunle, as customers were frequent owing to the regular low fee charge for sex which had always remained from N300 to N500.
“I sure say you know say no be only those wey dey fast dey this place. In fact, na non-natives plenty pass and me too na from Warri. So the business still dey go on fine whether fasting or no fasting,” Rita told our reporter.
—Eromosele Ebhomele