PLAY BOY PATHWAY BY OCHE JOSEPH OTORKPA

Junior was thirteen years old, when he had his first sexual intercourse with a neighbor’s daughter Mary, who was 4 years older. From then onwards Junior never looked back as he jumped from one girl to another.

Despite becoming sexually active as a Junior Secondary School II student, Junior’s academic brilliance was a source of great joy to his parents, his performance at Senior Secondary school Certificate Examination (SSCE), was the best in recent times and as the only child of his parents, he received every encouragement and got admitted into the Law Faculty of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, South-west Nigeria. Even as a freshman he continued to maintain his status as Play boy 001, the ultimate chick magnet and the boy every freshman and sophomore wanted to be like. It was a strong belief by most guys on campus that Junior had a “God-given” charm which made him irresistible to any girl regardless of her class.

He graduated from University with good grades and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School. He did very well at law school and then proceeded for the mandatory one year National Youth Service—all these while junior’s lucky streak with the ladies continued.

However, two weeks to his passing out Parade and subsequent move to England for post graduate studies, nemesis came knockingat the door. Junior became ill and was hospitalized for seven days.

He could neither eat nor drink and everyone was terrified at the alarming rate at which he lost weight. At the hospital, the doctor asked to see Junior’s relatives, by this time Junior’s parents had arrived having been informed earlier of his worsening health condition by the corper’s liaison officer (CLO). After spending some time at his bed side, His parents were ushered into the doctor’s office. In the office, the doctor’s major problem was not Junior but his mother who was crying profusely not believing what her eyes had seen, and lamenting the fate that could befall her only child, yet the doctor was about to reveal the mystery behind her son’s ill health.

While similar events have become a characteristic of our generation no one seems to be noticing. Universities and College hostels have been transformed to be mini brothels while “roaming” after school is fast becoming a tradition among secondary or high school students. For peanuts young men are willing to sacrifice their lives on the altar of pleasure, taking on women old enough to be their mothers.

The “Play Boy” syndrome has come to be accepted in most communities as a way of life. While the boys see it as the height of their romantic illusion, the girls are happy to jump at any offer from the ladies man not minding the consequences.

The fact that a play boy and his lieutenants could become victims of HIV/AIDS and STIs, be assaulted by an estranged lover or lose future ability to differentiate between true love and infatuation seem not to be a source of worry, neither does unwanted pregnancy, child birth or abortion which could stop education and eventually lead to a low self esteem appear to deter many.

As the world confronts the challenges of globalisation, the entertainment Industry and a web saturated with explicit sexual content, is increasingly making it difficult for young people to make informed decisions about sex, the media simply encourage young lads to make potentially dangerous decisions completely denying

them of the right to know the consequences of those actions. As T.D Jakes rightly puts it “life will always require us to take risks but we must discern which risk is worth taking and which will short circuit our long term goals for short term pleasure”.

It is important to note that while the expression of one’s sexuality is a normal component of living, control over this natural phenomenon is however an individual decision. This is where Sex Education comes in. But are parents ready to take on the taboo subject?

Quote:

“Players” are liable to die young”

—Oche Otorkpa


EXCERPTS FROM MY BOOK THE UNSEEN TERRORIST