The Menace of Campus Prostitution in Nigeria

By

Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega

belloskic@yahoo.com

 

 

The Nigeria society is fast drifting towards social backwardness. The idea about morality in Nigeria is fast loosing is essence; as results of the failure of value system that propelled the people to contribute and provide a framework for societal regeneration. The level of moral bankruptcy in Nigerian today, calls for sober reflection and urgent attentions to sustain the growing societal drifting into the abyss of confusion and chaos. It is often argued that moral uprightness is an important ingredient in building prosperous nations over the years. That is why nations take the issue of moral upbringing especially among their youths very serious. This is because the younger generations are often seen as the leaders of tomorrow. So; therefore, their mental and spiritual state of minds is of very important to any nation that desire development.

 

The growing rate of campus prostitution in Nigerian tertiary institutions today is raising a serious concern among Nigerians. It is often said the ivory towers is the last stage of moulding leaders of tomorrow, in preparatory for their engagement as leaders and policy makers of the future. So, if such towers are now saturated with the menaces of prostitution and it control syndicate, then the nation is in deep crisis. Campus prostitution is now a common business in Nigerian tertiary institutions; with the culprits not hiding their trades. There is no tertiary institution that is immune of this crisis. This is a bad omen for motherhood and academic excellence. Debasing motherhood and corrupting the social fabrics of the society; which seriously cripple whatever developmental effort of the country; because Societies that are not armed with sound morals are not, rule by good leaders and don’t deserve life of existence.

 

Ironically, as the nation experience the growing rate of campus prostitution in her tertiary institutions; so the decaying in the leadership structures of the government. That means there is direct relationship between moral uprightness of a society and the kind of leadership at the saddle of any society. The Nigerian state and the leadership structures have been the major promote of this illicit business in our campuses. From available finding this mothers of tomorrow were often used to appease a visiting guest whenever there is social events in town or at the capital cities. Such events include political conventions, party meeting, and social jamborees. The Nigerian state uses these futures mothers to satisfied personal and groups whimsical desires. This is rather on called for and disheartens the soul of every lover of this country. The major clients of these campus prostitutes are major big shots in power. No wonder, the business of campus prostitution is receiving enough patronage and it’s attending material gratifications; as exhibited by the general show up of materials status by these prostitutes in campuses across the federation.

 

Over the years the business of campus prostitution, has been a covert trade. This is due to the fact that, the value system of the Nigerian state and the moral consciousness of the ivory tower were on a high alert against all these menaces; that is destroying our society; thereby debasing motherhood today. The raise of campus prostitutions has just portraits that the core values and moral system in Nigeria is fast loosing it relevant (if there is any left). Although it has been argued by some observers, that, the rise in campus prostitution is a direct result of growing rate of poverty and hopelessness in the country; occasion by failure of leadership over the years. These general hopelessness and despairs is what is propelling these mothers of tomorrow to sell their honey well for a pattering sum of money to take care of them selves in school amidst parental neglects and inactions. While other are of the opinion that, the rise in campus prostitution in Nigerian tertiary institutions, is purely the product of new lifestyle, ostentations and over materialization of the society by the new crops of leaders in the country.

 

However, it is interesting to agreed with the two contending argument, over the cause of such moral backwardness. Over the years, Nigerian leaders have failed to common up with a passionate blue prints and religiously implementing such policies for the development of this country. What we have had all this while is band of pirates and vampires who have sucked the bloods of their people to satisfied their insatiable greed and gluttonies. The failure of Nigerian leaders to developed the nation seriously led to widening gap between the poor and the rich. This gap comes with it own repercussions of the social vices such as prostitution, drugs trafficking, moral bankruptcy.

 

Today, it is no longer news, that, the rate of poverty in the country has increase tremendously, as results of the inactions of those that were at saddle of leading this country. The rate of poverty has reach an alarming rate that people are ready to commit all kind of heinous crimes including prostitution to survive. However, this is not an indication of supporting prostitution especially in our campus, but, to trace where the crisis begin from. It may interest us to know that the growth and the boldness of these misguided brats in our campuses manifested with the returned to democratic rule. Since the country returned to democracy in 1999, the ivory towers experience the rise of campus prostitution and standards of material wealth of these brats in our campuses.

 

It is no longer news that the politicians, lawmakers, businessmen and major offices holders, are the major patronages of these students. A visit to females’ hotels at night, one will be amaze with the kind of flashing cars that come to pick these young undergraduates for one functions or the other. This is rather pathetic for this nation and it people. The same set of misguided leaders that have thrown the parents of these students into greater poverty, thus, their inability to provide for their needs, are the same that are today destroying their womanhood; because they control the means of survival and social status. This is wickedness, ungodly, narcissisms and a betrayal of all seasons. How do we expect our great nation to be great? When men and women who preside over the affairs of this nation, are nothing but adulterers, moral destroyers and debases of womanhood. Most of the students that they are having affairs with are old enough to be their daughters and grand daughters- what a pity on how we have degenerate so low to a position of waywardness.

 

Furthermore, because of the way these students were used and their connections in high places, they no longer respect their lecturers or constituted authorities in their respective schools. Academic indiscipline has crop into the ivory towers, which is precipitating serious crisis of academic excellence and quality of graduates that are turnout every year. The values of hardwork, research and intellectuals pursuit, has been thrown to the dustbin of history; as most of these students have already know that the only things they need is to bribe the lecturer involve both in kind and cash to get the require marks. This poise seriously challenges to academic excellence. Also, because of the huge monetary inducement in this illicit business, these corporate and campus prostitutes often parade themselves in a flash and sophisticated cars, jewelries and costumes to the chagrins and envy of their fellow students.

 

We are in deep trouble in this country if urgent attention is not taking to address this crisis. But, the questions is; who provide the platform for such reforms to take place, when it was the same politicians, political officeholders, bureaucrats, and some traditional rulers that are the major promotes of such illicit business in the first place. These are suppose to be the moral and spirituals builders of the society but are now the destroyers of such fabrics.  So, it is incumbent upon us as parents to seriously monitor and provides our wards with moral upbringing that will be a light that will always guide them even in our absence. The religious organizations have a role in these gigantic crusades against societal ills that is already destroying the pillars that hold us together as nation. And our sisters, aunty, wives and mothers must understand that prostitution business is never a trade and it will never solve any problems, it only creates more and hazardous problems. So, therefore, the spirits of hardwork, dedication, moral uprightness and resting womanhood should be your watch words.

 

I pray to God Almighty to change the minds of those that are committing these heinous crimes against our mothers for their whimsical desires. And if they refuse to change their arctic of evil God destroy them for the over all good of the society. Because no society ever progress if those in the saddle of leadership are nothing but immoral and irresponsible set of class of mediocre. Who have nothing to contribute than to ravage and destroy the fabrics of the society through the break down of the pillars that holds the society together? Until then we hope and pray that these illicit business that is receiving dominance and attention in our campus will be uprooted once and for all and build a virile society where ethics, principles and morality will be the watchwords of our leaders and the society in general.