The ladies were damn serious. Business has been on the slide for some time now and it was a source of serious concern. On Tuesday, two ladies of the night, who ply their trade at the Royal Lodge Hotel in Accra, were lamenting about the current economic hardship and its attendant high cost of living, which had seriously undermined their trade.

The Chronicle newspaper caught up with the ladies, who had lined up with their colleagues by the wall, at the entrance of the hotel, while waiting for customers. Apparently, the waiting period had been usually long these days, a subject that occupied their thoughts and made them brood over the matter far into the night. According to the prostitutes, the number of customers who patronize their services has gone down considerably, and even those who come around cannot afford to pay the money charged, blaming it on the economic hardship that the entire nation is facing.

They agonizingly blamed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration for their woes, and openly threatened not to vote for President John Evans Atta Mills in the 2012 Presidential elections. Some even went further by telling their colleagues, who apparently are known NDC sympathizers that they were also part of the problem, accusing them of voting for then candidate Mills in the 2008 election. Speaking in a variety of local dialects, interspersed with Pidgin English, some of the women swore that God would not be kind to the Professor and his administration, for the reckless manner they had driven the economy.

Even former President Jerry Rawlings was not spared the tongue lashing, as the prostitutes blamed him for bringing on board Professor Mills and vigorously campaigning for him to become President. The Chronicle went to the Royal Lodge hotel in Accra New Town, in the company of a friend, upon a tip off, to spy on a popular politician based in the East Ayawaso constituency of the Greater Accra region, who has been rumoured to be a notorious visitor to the place. The said politician (name withheld, as we are investigating), is reported to park his car behind the Accra New Town night market, and then goes in for his choice of prostitutes who he imports into his car. What happens next is your own guess.

During the conversation, which invariably turned profane, the prostitutes described the current down turn in their business as the worst thing to happen to them. Listening to them, whiles in their element, one gets the impression that their colleagues, who ply their trade in other areas, such as Kwame Nkrumah Circle, also complain of the same problem, whenever they meet to share their experiences. One prostitute, who simply identified herself as Nana Ama, said during the era of President Kufuor, business was booming and even some their clients shower them with gifts. She turned her attention on us and said teasingly; those of us just chatting with them were doing so because we could not afford the cost.

Meanwhile the Chronicle is keeping a tab on the Accra New Town based politician, who is said to be a frequent visitor to the red light area of this popular Accra suburb.