?Donkomi! ?20,000 Per Client Per Round

After almost a year of underground investigations into child prostitution in the country, Ghanaian Observer(GO) has uncovered one of the biggest child prostitution bases and clandestine activities by some unscrupulous Ghanaians, who are massively exploiting these children in the Greater Accra Region.

GO investigations have established that the children, whose ages range between 12 years and 17 years, are drawn from different parts of the country such as Kasoa, Kaneshie, Nima, Mamobi, Osu and Abeka among other places, to be signed on into the sex trade as prostitutes.

With certain accommodation facilities having been provided by some macho men and women in the heart of the city, GO can further reveal that some of these children, as young as they are, rather enjoy working as prostitutes and paid agents of these criminals and child traffickers than being in the classroom to learn the 3Rs.

The children who appear barely ignorant about the dangers associated with HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, are provided with accommodation by these unscrupulous Ghanaians at a fee of ?10,000 per client for a night.

GO can authoritatively report that these innocent girls, who converge by 8pm at the prostitution base located at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the capital city Accra, stay for more than 12 hours engaging men of all classes and physical sizes and strength in sex for a meagre fee of between ?20,000 and ?30,000 per each man for the agents.

Our investigations have revealed that these children are exposed to all kinds of dangers and other forms of social vices, as the base also serves as a camp for armed robbers, centre for taking all forms of drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, as well as other criminal activities.

Coincidently, the wooden structure where these criminal activities are perpetrated almost every night, is named 'Soldier Bar' found just behind the Holy Gardens AMA Task Force station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the capital, Accra.

The wooden structure is compartmentalised into three cubicles, with each containing about 10 to 15 student-sized bed, for which each child is charged ?10,000 for using the bed and other facilities with her client.

A number of these children, who spoke to this reporter, cited parental neglect, economic hardships, lack of jobs, among other factors, as major reasons for which they found themselves prostituting to feed and clothe themselves on a daily basis.

A 13-year-old girl, Cynthia Acheampong (not real name), who spoke with GO in the Twi dialect, confirmed: `We pay ?10,000 for the rooms. When you pay the money, the man at the gate will give you one condom, which sometimes cannot serve the customer because it bursts?'

As to why at such age she was engaging in prostitution, Cynthia Acheampong replied: 'I came to Accra with my little brother and mother; but few days later, we could not find anywhere to lodge. As a result, living became difficult for me and my brother?A friend who was visiting me often told me I could get money for myself and my brother?So we started coming here?'

She told GO that, as young as she is, all kinds of men, irrespective of their age, political or socio-economic background, call her for sex. According to her, she has no choice than to give in to their demands in order to satisfy her needs.

Another young prostitute, aged 15, Maame Esi (not real name), said she has been offering herself for money because she cannot find any means of livelihood or support from her parents, let alone see herself through education at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level.

Sounding disappointed, she promised that, if she had the opportunity to further her education, prostitution will be a thing of the past. She blamed her plight on `the difficult situation' that she faced and that led to her being introduced to the sex trade.

'I would immediately stop coming here, if anybody tells me that Esi, I will assist you to get a different job or even pay your fees to enable you attend school?` she told GO.

Apparently ignorant about the perils of prostitution, Ayesha, another victim, said: 'My association with the people, who are mainly criminals and people who clearly do not have any good ambitions in life, has brought great danger to my life. According to her, her association with other girls at the base has taught her how to drink heavily and smoke, which she believes is dangerous to her health.