The resurgence of corporate prostitution

The resurgence of corporate prostitution

Sometime ago, I posted an article entitled ‘Tackling Corporate Prostitution’ in this column. The piece, which was first published on May 26, 2010 in the defunct SUMMIT Newspaper, featured a move by the House of Representatives during the 6th Assembly to ban corporate prostitution in Nigeria. The then speaker of the House, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, had disclosed that the House had begun the process of enacting a law to ban the immoral practice in corporate organisations.

He said while declaring open a public hearing on a ‘Bill for an Act to Prohibit Corporate Prostitution and Exploitation of Women in Corporate Organisations and for Matters Connected Therewith’ proposed by the House, that such practices were not only anti-labour but also dehumanising and were totally unacceptable to the National Assembly.

But the financial institutions soon hit back, kicking against the bill before the House. They said the proposal was borne out of prejudice and emotion, and condemned Section 2 of the proposed bill, which sought to limit revenue targets for employees of banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions to a maximum of N25m per annum, saying the target was grossly inadequate because the female employees earn jumbo pays.

Consequently, I promptly wrote another piece, entitled ‘In Defence of the Anti-Corporate Prostitution Bill’. The piece, which was first published on June 17, 2010, pointed out the selfishness of the financial institutions as they dehumanise the women on their payroll just to make huge profits. The article also highlighted the dangers that corporate prostitution poses to those female workers. It stressed the need for the bill to be pursued to its logical conclusion and urged the legislators not to be deterred by the reaction of the financial institutions. Unfortunately, the bill did not pull through. And now, the hydra-headed monster has reared its ugly head again, starring incoming the 8th National Assembly in the face!

I read a story in The Punch of April 28, 2015 headlined ‘Banks use female marketers to woo senators, Reps-elect’.The story said commercial banks have sent marketers, mostly females after newly elected senators and members of the House of Representatives in Abuja to open discussions on investments and other business deals. It said the energetic and sweet-talking marketers flooded the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the induction course for the new arrivals on Monday, 27th April. The corporate prostitutes were said to have started trailing the lawmakers on the night of Sunday, the 26th when the Senate President, David Mark, declared the induction programme open at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Over 290 members of the House are newcomers out of the total 360, while 69 senators out of the 109 are also newcomers, and the banks are targeting them to open accounts with them and receive their loan offers, promising “friendly repayment terms”. They are particularly interested in the legislators because of the huge allowances they earn. A member of the House of Reps is said to earn about N27.9million every quarter as official allowance with a monthly salary of N1million, while a senator earns over N30million as quarterly allowance and a higher salary than his counterpart at the lower chamber. The banks compete among themselves for these lawmakers and other wealthy individuals in the society for their accounts in a very unhealthy manner.

While one appreciates the need for these banks and insurance companies to make efforts to remain afloat in a competitive environment, it should not be done by compromising the honour, dignity and wellbeing of their female staff. I learnt that a new generation bank now has a policy of recruiting only light-skinned ladies either for youth service or employment. This is because it is this class of girls that will easily appeal to the wealthy individuals and lawmakers they are trying to seduce. I believe that these financial institutions can put heads together and fashion out ways of getting those rich customers without dehumanising their female workers the way they are doing.

I urge the incoming 8th National Assembly to revisit the Anti-Corporate Prostitution Bill that the leadership of the 6th Assembly tried but failed to pass. This is with a view to bringing an end to this practice that financial institutions indulge in, which debases womanhood. The bill is also intended to save the lawmakers from themselves. It would be recalled that a lawmaker of the outgoing 7th Assembly was sent to an early grave after his encounter with a corporate prostitute at his Gwarimpa residence in Abuja. The victim left behind a humiliated family and a long lasting scandal that would haunt his memory for years to come.

By Nike Oluwole