By Saheed Ibrahim

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In order to curb  rising cases of teenage prostitution in Ondo state, notable personalities have called for proper orientation, commitment to the girl child education and review of sex education curriculum in schools.

The Head of Philosophy Department, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Dr Layi Oladipupo identified high level of moral decadence in the society, societal and peer influence and desire for material things as major causes of teenage prostitution.

“A child whose father cannot afford a Tecno phone will want to use iPhone. Then lack of parental care and acts and actions of silent models, whom the young ones observe and follow their ways of life can lead to this,” he said.

“Some of these children have some people they look up to as mentors but people may not know. Parents should try as much as possible to know who their children take as models and analyse such people and guide how their kids relate with them.

He added that the era of keeping things from young people has passed and they need to be exposed to the dangers in whatever they might engage in and the implications on their lives, saying this would dissuade them from engaging in such acts.

The Resident Priest of St Marks Anglican Church, Ayedun in Akure identified neglect of children by parents and negative social media exposure as factors that influenced many young girls into engaging in prostitution.

His words: “If you interview some of those involved, they will tell you that they have to make ends meet. For a 15yr old girl, for even a 20yr old girl, I am of the opinion that the parents must be  able to take care of such children.

Apart from parental neglect, the negative effect of ICT, social media, where some will watch negative contents and want to practice it are also debilitating factors.

He decried the level at which societal values and morality had been thrown away in the name of civilization.

“The type of communal life that people like myself lived in those days go a long way to develop us but today it is “me and my immediate family.

“In those days when you see a child that was doing anything wrong, you did not  turn away your eye either the child was yours or not, you immediately go ahead to correct such a child.

The Anglican Priest said it was erroneous to think that poverty was responsible for young girls going into prostitution, saying THE  desire to use expensive materials, such as iPhone, pushed some of the girls into prostitution.

Rev. Canon Ige admonished parents to go back to their responsibilities and take care of their children.

Similarly, a member of National Mission Board, Nasrul-lahi-li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) and school proprietor, Alhaji Yunus Junaid Olalekan attributed the unfortunate development to lack of proper parental care.

Other factors he identified  were permissive nature of the society, extreme sexual education, indiscriminate sale of contraceptives to young girls, lack of governmental policy on girl child education, peer influence and  civilisation.

Proffering solution,   suggested that there should be sufficient public education through the media – social media, electronic media and faith media – to educate the parents that the society cannot grow more than the quality of  its children.

While adding that parents must be orientated on giving quality education to their wards, especially the girl child, he urged government to be committed to their  education, saying they are the navigators of the nation’s future.

Alhaji Junaid also recommended that school curriculum on sex education must be reviewed, stating that it was good to learn sex education but there must be caveat emptor in which the boundaries should be made known to the students .