Many Commercial Sex Workers in Areas under Lockdown have moved to the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua.
Mybrytfmonline.com checks on Saturday and Sunday in places notorious for commercial sex workers’ activities noted an increase in a number of commercial sex workers who stand along the streets to solicit sex for cash.
For instance, the Bula spots area recorded a high number of sex workers over the weekend. Also, those who used to operate around the former Barclays Bank Area also saw new arrivals.
Though, it is a known fact that many commercial sex workers who operate in the Regional Capital are not residents.
They mostly travel to Koforidua from Accra, Ashaiman, Kumasi, Cape Coast among others while the locals also travel to these places. Also, foreigners particularly Nigerians are in recent times dominating the commercial sex market in the Eastern Region.
Mybrytfmonline visited some of the commercial sex workers under the guise of soliciting for sex. It was through conversation that the sex workers disclosed they arrived in the regional capital a few days ago from Accra and Kumasi due to the locked down.
“I came to Koforidua on Saturday with my friends because of the curfew. We sleep in a guesthouse but I won’t tell you the name.” she said.
Another commercial sex worker said “we expected that President will also exempt us because many people will need our services during this time to release stress. We also need money to take care of ourselves and families”.
The new commercial sex workers charge GH₵ 100 for “short time” and GH₵250 for “long time.” Blowjob also goes for GH₵80. All these charges exclude guesthouse or hotel fees.
The Commercial sex workers were not too concerned about Coronavirus infection when quizzed but showed various types of sanitizers in their bags as a way of maintaining hygiene to prevent infection.
Ghana has recorded 152 confirmed cases of coronavirus with five (5) fatalities as of March 29, 2020.
President of Ghana Akufo-Addo on Friday night of March 27, 2020, announced partial lockdown of the Nation’s Capital-Accra and Parts of Ashanti Region as an enhanced measure to prevent increasing community spread having closed down all Borders -Land, sea and Air space.
The lockdown took effect last night.
The lockdown has led to panic exodus of people in the affected areas to their hometowns and villages.
The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Isaac Appaw Gyasi, and the New Juaben Traditional Council has expressed worry over the panic movement of people to Koforidua.
This worrying phenomenon compelled the New Juaben Traditional Council and the Municipal Assembly to hold a joint press conference on Saturday.
The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Isaac Appaw Gyasi explained that “I’ve received a lot of calls prompting me about an influx of travelers from Kumasi, Accra, Kasoa and other cities to Koforidua. As the Municipal Chief Executive, I was alarmed by this strange panic movement”.
He added “I’m pleading with people from the affected cities not to panic and move around as counseled by His Excellency the President. Let’s support the extraordinary leadership qualities exhibited by the President and abide by all the protocols he has put in place. Ghana, under the able leadership of our President, shall pull through this pandemic, COVID-19 successfully”.
Meanwhile, the MCE has hinted plans to meet various transport Unions, Security agencies and all other major stakeholders to help address this worrying phenomenon to help avert the spread of coronavirus to the Regional Capital.
The Gyasehene of New Juaben Traditional Area Nana Twumasi Dakwah, on his part, admonished all those fleeing to New Juaben to return to their places of abode.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
