Charley Ike condemns child prostitution in Umuaka. Recommends solutions.
2 min read
US based Akalite and politician, Chief Charles Ike has condemned the engagement of under aged girls as commercial sex workers in Umuaka Municipal Council. It can be recalled that last week, Umuaka Times ran a story on the booming commercial sex business in Umuaka at various brothels where teenage girls as young as 15 are working as commercial sex hawkers. Umuaka Times sought the opinion of Chief Charles Ike whose dad, the late Chief Sylvester Ike, was the first Akalite who established a brothel in Umuaka in the early 80s.
Chief Charles Ike outrightly condemned in strongest terms those who are behind the business and even called for their arrests. While talking about his dad’s hotel which was known then as Ike Hotel for Relaxation and Comfort, he disclosed to Umuaka Times that, “In those days you (the girls) will be interviewed by the manager and he will also contact other brothels around if they know the girls in question. If she is under-aged, The manager would not accept her in our hotel. Sometimes, my father would call the Umuaka Police Station, requesting them to come and interview an underage girl and send her parking.”
To show his determination and the seriousness in what he said, Chief Charles Ike narrated a story to Umuaka Times. Hear him. “There was a time in 2013, someone met me and rented my hotel for the purpose of watching football games as a viewing centre. I agreed, later on he turned the place into prostitution house. When I heard it, I told the man that our father had done this type of business in the past and I didn’t need it again, but the man refused and told me that he had rented it from me and he had the right to use it in any way he likes. I took him to court with my very good lawyer who has been working with me. At last I won the case with 250 thousand Naira damages awarded against him. The man took off and ran out of my house. I can recall that while he was there, every building material brought to the place was stolen.”
Chief Ike strongly opposed the issue of underage prostitution and went further to describe it as a criminal offence. On the solution to adopt in fighting the crime, he called on all the presidents-general in Umaka Municipal Council to hold an emergency meeting with the owners of the brothels at the Njaba Police Station on the menace.
“I want to state properly that that an emergency meeting will be called by all our PGs and at the end of the meeting which will be held, the brothel owners would be made to sign document never to bring underage girls again to Umuaka for the purposes of commercial sex.”
Chef Charles Ike used the opportunity to thank Umuaka Times for bringing the ugly development to the general public.
