By Chinwe Uzoechi
Runz” or “Runs” in everyday street parlance in Naija, refers to girls that date men for money or for some other benefits. Call it “friends with benefit”, FWB for short. It is a relationship that is anchored strictly on material gains, in exchange for sexual gratification. In today’s Nigeria, it seems to be the norm, to see younger babes date older married guys, without any form of guilt.
A Runz girl is also any girl that is readily available to any man or men on short notice. This would not be applicable to a girl that is attracted to a man for his money, after all men are attracted to women, for different reasons
I personally see Runz as relationships that come with material convenience. “take care of my needs, I will take care of your needs…” sounds like prostitution to me, but who am I to judge ….Super Runz girls have a choice and wont sleep with just anyone, even when the price sounds right. Prostitutes on the other hand, have no restrictions.
When you are holed up in a Nigerian society that the bad is celebrated, you begin to treat certain evils, as lesser evils. I started losing it, wondering, if I had derailed morally or am I morally bankrupt? So I have decided to hit the streets to sample opinions as to ascertain if Runz or Runs is the same as prostitute but that’s a topic for another day. Let’s look at the causes, consequences, benefits and remedies in this so called ‘business’
So, what exactly is the driving force behind a Nigerian Runs Girl?
Most happening babes today on Nigerian campuses are runs babes, a typical runs babes may have a steady (so called serious) boyfriend and a string of single/married men she visits on alternating weekends. The married men are her preferred choice as they provide her with the money she needs to sustain her expensive life style (expensive clothes, well furnished off campus apartment, car, etc). A typical runs babe sleeps with about 12 different men in a year and never spends her weekends on campus, today it’s Abuja, next week, Port-Harcourt, week after Lagos, etc, they keep a very busy schedule, missing lectures and test at times, and are very good at settling their lecturers.
Runs babes don’t have any qualms about premarital sex and in that area they are very good and would turn almost any guy’s head. The smart ones also brush up their home management and cooking skills. The gurus among them can carryon interesting and engaging conversations with any guy.
What else does a man want anyway, a good companion to gist with, a lady who can run the home properly and a tiger who can keep him entertained in the bedroom? It is a widely held belief that runs babes are street wise (know what men want) and tend to settle down more quickly than other babes. Is this true or just an urban myth? Do such marriages stand the test of time or do the babes break out shortly after to pursue the glamorous life they’ve lived? Still a question for another day.
Causes:
The ones with poor background say they do it to be able to cope with their financial burdens.
The ones from average family, that are ok and comfortable, still say they do it to meet with higher financial burdens or higher standard of life.
Then, the ones that are financially buoyant say they do it for power. To be able to open some doors which are normally locked to normal individuals.
After having this three above categories, it is still surprising to see a girl who comes from a very elite family doing Runs.
When I mean elite, her family is very rich, just at the name of her family, doors will be opened and she is still doing runs.
Why indulging in this unholy act? When her family can give her both money and power.
It is all hitched on lack of unemployment, the quest for material things and competition among fellow girls because some women love to compete and will want to measure up at anytime and can do anything, so long as it can bring money, most of them loved to be recognized as one that has connection; at the snap of their finger whatever they want happens Also not coming from a respectable home where one is brought up in a godly way. The greatest of it is peer pressure which comes as a result of low self esteem. Unhappy girl with low self image and no self-respect. One of most sacred things to a woman is belitting herself sexually and to be put in a position to use that for money cannot be enjoyable to her being. The woman thinks her “worth” isn’t anything and falls prey to a “pimp” who will utilize her, for his ill gotten gains. It breaks down the spirit of a person, who must submit to this form of degradation. No one WANTS to be a whore
Consequences:
Criminal record as it is considered immoral and illegal in most areas. Can act as a covert enterprise for all kinds of shady criminal characters to get involved. It brings crime and drugs around the area even more and people go to jail, disease rate goes up. Crime rate goes up because a lot of people kill or rip off runs girls. The runs girls get abused and exposed to a lot of weirdo’s and danger and disease. Can end up as drug addicts.
Sexual diseases and moral degradation. Runs girls often communicate diseases such as venereal disease, AIDs, hepatitis – (needle sharing, drug addicts), herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, and a host of others…The spread of STD’s, rise in abortion rates, increases in healthcare spending.
one who engages in frequent sex runs the risk of losing interest in sex on time, also sexual transmitted diseases like hepatitis B which most woman are not aware of kills faster than AIDS. Recently 3 ladies were beheaded by their suppose sugar daddies. Most ladies also seek love charm from native doctors in order to get the attention of men which most times backfire and result to the person being barren or going mad.
Benefits:
No amount of material thing will be compared with one’s pride as a woman, so trading it has no benefit. Yes it might buy one a house in Lekki and Victoria Ireland or even the most exotic car or a trip to Dubai still not enough reason to trade one’s body
Remedies:
There is need for parents to keep a close eye on their female childre; know who they move with, where they go and the likes. The church also should not hesitate to preach the consequences of this immoral act ,the government also should not appoint anyone with a questionable character as this type of people use their position and money to lure girls into this act.
