[ 2017-04-21 ]

This picture shows some commercial sex workers on duty

St. Johns turns into ‘hotspot’ for commercial sex workers
Weekend Today can confirm that St Johns, a suburb
of Accra on the Achimota- Ofankor road, has become
a hot vicinity for sex workers who are often
called ‘The Ladies of the Night.’

The sex trade, which started small two years ago
at the St Johns area, has received a massive boost
following the springing of companies including the
Achimota Shopping Mall in the area.

These Ladies of the Night, Weekend Today
discovered, line up along the St. Johns-Dome road,
close to Vision One FM, in front of the Achimota
Shopping Mall and Paramount Hotel and a lorry
station, always waiting for clients after 8:00
p.m., every night.

Most of the containers along that stretch of the
road which were initially used as shops have now
been converted into drinking bars as a result of
the brisk business of these commercial sex
workers

And they seem to have strategically positioned
themselves so as to attract prospective customers
in the night, Weekend Today further gathered.

Some also walk into the mall to offer their
services to interested clients who come to shop
for more than material goods.

As the urban sprawl in Accra consumes more
residential and even rural areas, the ladies of
the night have expanded the footprint of the
world’s oldest profession beyond the downtown
core.

Weekend Today established that the driving force
behind the boom in prostitution at St. Johns was
the establishment of the Achimota Shopping Mall.

What is more worrying about the situation was the
fact girls between the ages of 13 and 15 years who
are supposed to be in school are involved in the
trade.

Some of these sex workers who were seen by Weekend
Today wore sexually provocative dresses, revealing
generous amounts of cleavage, while others were
also in hot pants and crop tops, with clutch purse
and sling bags.

Others were also seen appearing casually dressed
in jeans, sandals and top, deceptively passing off
the image of ordinary revellers and thereby
avoiding undue attention from law enforcement
agents.

According to scores of traders around the St.
Johns area who spoke to Weekend Today on condition
of anonymity, the crème-de-la-crème of society
patronise the services of these sex workers.

The sex workers, they said, are so daring that
some approach potential clients in their cars,
while others strategically position themselves in
such a way to catch the attention of prospective
customers.

The traders explained that these sex workers are
now attracted to the place because of the class of
people who come to wine and dine at the mall.

“Some notable footballers, musicians,
broadcasters, politicians, businessmen/women come
to eat and drink at this place so they [the sex
workers] find here a good ground for their
activities,” the traders alleged.

They disclosed that some of these prostitutes were
‘freelancing’ students while others were
consummate professionals in the trade.

“Sometimes these girls fight among themselves
and even break bottles when a colleague outsmarts
the other,” one of the traders said.

Prostitution in Ghana is a criminal offence and
therefore, the police often go after these
commercial sex workers.

But interestingly, it looks like the ‘ladies of
the night’ are not bothered.

Source - todaygh.com

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