Who will blame Hazel Oyeye Onou, popularly known as White Money? He won the big prize in Big Brother Naija Season 6 (the one known as Shine Ya Eye). In a recent outing on social media,he decried the rising transactional dating culture of some Nigerian ladies. In fact the BBN star comically asked for a referral code where someone can find a good woman to settle down with because according to him, he is getting old and needs to settle down.
“Any small thing, you are billed. Say hello to a lady, next, she will send you a bill. Chat her up just for chatting sake, she will stylishly tell you she is hungry, that she has not eaten and wants you to send her food through a dispatch rider. You cannot end a conversation without being billed. What sort of ladies do we have in society now?” he queried.
White Money is not the only person disturbed by this transactional dating culture. I encountered some young university students who are presently on holiday, where something similar played out. Chike is a nursing student in one of the private universities. He said: “Even your own classmates, fellow students who know you are all on the same radar, financially, will bill you. I was forced to confront one of the girls, asking her: do I look like a sugar Daddy? You can bill your sugar Daddy because you know what he wants, not a fellow student. So, the little money my parents gave me should be spent on you because I asked you out? Ma, it has become a transactional dating culture among the young ones. I do not know what they think boys are these days. How can a classmate, a fellow student, bill her own class boy?”
Now, the story of Prince might shock you. He flew into the country from Europe after eight years. He decided to drive around his Festac neighbourhood. He made a brief stop at a busy popular Amala joint he knew years ago. He discovered that the building had been renovated and made state of the art with smart service boys and girls. It also had areas partitioned to accommodate VVIP, VIP and others, but the old name was retained. Prince abandoned the cozy areas and chose to be on the queue to protect his identity and revive the old feeling. Otherwise, he could afford the VVIP section. Standing in the queue was a real fun and old time memory for him. On this same queue was beautiful Ella who was also waiting for her turn. Prince said ‘Hi’ to Ella and they got talking. Both got their orders and Ella looked at Prince to pay for her food. Prince walked away and she was so angry. “I thought you were going to pay for my food.” Prince asked why he should pay. Ella responded, “I thought we got talking and had become friends already.” Prince was really pissed off. “Become friends and therefore I should pay? I am sorry I will not pay for you.” He quickly packed his food and left the environment because some prying eyes were already looking at them. He got home and told his friends. After narrating his encounter with Ella, he asked his friends, ‘Guys, how are you people managing this billing system in the country?’ Peter laughed out his heart. ‘So, you don’t know that most of those girls you see who are very well dressed are small-small Olosho?’, he said.
That is how they dress up and station themselves at big popular joints, gym, shopping malls and do window shopping forever while waiting for their targets. Some will boldly start up a conversation which might lead to exchange of phone numbers. From there billing will start. Some just get into an eatery and buy a bottle of water and drink it for hours. They are smartly dressed waiting for someone who will just say hello, and they will send their bill.
In the same manner, Kola shared his heart breaking experience with Laura. “We met in a bubbling Pentecostal Church. I admired her from afar and later went to her and we exchanged contacts. We started chatting frequently. That was how I knew she was a youths corps member serving in Lagos State. I was really interested in her the moment she told me she studied Chemistry in school. Personally, I love sciences more than arts and that encouraged me the most. Maybe a great union was about to start. After a month of chatting with her, I had gotten some vital information that led me on. I was bold and asked her for a first date, not in my house, but at a cinema. I made her understand I do not have any ulterior motive; I needed to know her better. I told her to meet me at the cinema on the Island. She sent me a reply that she needed a new outfit and transportation fare for the date because she had worn almost all her clothes. So, I asked her, does it mean that you do not repeat your clothes? She paused and said, ‘I need a new outfit for a first date.’ I jokingly asked how much we were looking at? She quickly replied N70,000. I insisted she should come so I could teach her that billing a stranger is a wrong approach in life. She insisted on a new outfit and I blocked her number immediately. How can a first invitation attract a new outfit? Meanwhile, all edibles would have been on me.”
Charles and his girlfriend Joy were having issues. He invited his girlfriend’s older sister, Maureen, for lunch, to complain and ask her to advise Joy. Maureen ordered food worth N25,000.00 at once and ate it all. Imagine billing a supposed brother-in-law.
I have heard about the ones that request for urgent N2k. Someone can ask for urgent N2k four times in a week because you said hello to her on snap chat. When you complain, she will be bold to ask, “Is it not just N2k.
Surprisingly, this new billing method does not only exist between men and women. Ladies also bill their fellow ladies. On Instagram, Cherry and Winnie met as young content creators. Winnie booked a put-me-through date with Cherry on their various handles. Cherry asked Winnie to meet her at the beach. Winnie called and requested for transport fare. Cherry blew hot. “Do I look like a man? Why are you billing me, even when I am willing to help you grow your page? Content creation friendship ended immediately.
With the increasing rate of billing, I cornered some girls on a particular campus recently, and asked why they bill men in fresh relationships? Tolu snatched it from me and said, ‘Ma, girls bill boys because any opportunity these boys have, they will make sexual advances, have their way and abandon the girl. They do not care about the girl’s emotion. Their focus will be sexual pleasure and its advancement. Though, it is not applicable to all boys. Ma, most of them are heartless. So billing is a smart way to protect oneself as a lady. If you fail my billing request, I have no business with you. I asked her, don’t you think you will be seen as a cheap prostitute who obeys the music of Sir Shina Peters that says, ‘Money for hand, back for ground.’? She replied: “Well Ma, I see it as protection and not prostitution.”
In that same scenario, Eno added her voice: “Ma, billing is needed because it puts the smart boys in check. If I am not interested and someone persists, I will bill him something he cannot afford. That will definitely send the person away and leave me in peace. The slogan is ‘If you claim to be a big boy, show your colour.’
I tried to educate the girls that most great marriages out there were made from different campuses. I told them that Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Idowu Iluyomade, who were formerly in charge of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG, City of David Parish) met as students at University of Ife many years ago. After over 30 years together, they are a successful couple. Young ladies should know that on campus, everyone is literally a young student looking and hoping for a great future. Yes, there might be some students from rich homes; but a student is a student. As students, this is the time to build great relationships that you will enjoy in future. Some might end up in marriage, while some will not, but you all need each other. Many young ladies will miss their future husbands through the new billing method.
Dear Nigerian ladies, just like White Money asked, ‘what manner of girls are you?’ Why are you going on relegation at all times? Why are you bringing shame to the women folk? Who are your role model ladies?
The post Girls and crazy billing appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
