RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - 'Whites only' restaurant closed down [in Ghana]

Pius,

 

As always, your yarn is interesting and offers some sparks of riotous clarity, but it seems to me that you did not fully understand the story, thus your comparative lens is befogged in this instance.  You may reacquaint yourself with the basic details below.  Contrary to your position, it is a straightforward story: no labyrinthine twists and turns.

 

"Elizabeth Okoro, a young woman with Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage accused the Italian owner of the restaurant of making racist comments.

According to her, she visited the restaurant with her Spanish friend but was shocked to learn that the restaurant was opened to whites only.

She explained the owners of the restaurant were operating a new policy in which only whites were allowed to register and become members of the club.

When she attempted to register to become a member on her second visit, she was told only whites were allowed to become members.

Elizabeth Okoro said she was stunned by the utterances by the restaurant official and vowed to resist any attempt to discriminate against blacks in Ghana or any other part of Africa."

 

The "restaurant case" in Ghana is not like some profligate spending on expensive residential units in Lagos that you have summoned to buttress your arguments, nor is it an expensive restaurant beyond the financial wherewithal of Ghanaians. Your Lagos example can be found all over the world and are defined by class and wealth. Simply put, residential areas tend to be accessible to all, whether black or white, but it is the depth of one's pocket that determines one's ability to live in such wealthy provinces. In Ghana such residential areas, include Dome, Ridge, Airport, and East Legon, and such areas are inhabited by wealthy Ghanaians, Italians, Nigerians, Indians, Whites, Lebanese, etc. They key determinant is wealth and we may add class.

 

In sum, the restaurant in question was not beyond the financial reach of middle-class Ghanaians. Membership was based on "race," not wealth and/or class. Luckily for Elizabeth Okoro who had wanted to become a member of the "whites only" restaurant, there were no Ikihides, Ochonus, pentecostal members, etc. to rebuke her for her willingness to spend money on expensive food. The case is what it is: "racism." It is not about profligacy, or living beyond one's means. 

 

Kwabena

 

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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Pius Adesanmi [piusadesanmi@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 11:10 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - 'Whites only' restaurant closed down [in Ghana]

Kwabena:

Sometimes these things are not as straightforward as you make it here. I recall a similar incident about three years ago when NEXT ran the story of a whites only apartment building in Lagos. I believe it belonged to the Okoyas or so. Anyway, the story of that Naija apartheid went viral and got the proprietors of the apartment block into trouble with the state government. My hostility reduced when I read the explanations of the perplexed manager of the apartment complex in newspaper interviews. You see, the building was in one of those new ultra-capitalist, hyper-wealthy areas of Lagos. There are some places in Lagos where Obama cannot afford accommodation. Anyway sha, the lady explained that beyond a certain rent bracket, no Nigerian, no matter how wealthy, would "pour all that money into rent". There is point where it is culturally unacceptable "to still be paying rent". If a two-bedroom apartment goes for almost 20,000 dollars per month somewhere in Lagos and you move in - even if you can afford it - your friends and your family will start emergency consultations to "wash your head" for "wasting all that money on rent" instead of "building your own house." Deopka Ikhide will say that it is the mother of your father's ninth wife that is "doing you" and she must be appeased. Moses Ochonu will say that he warned you not to eat kolanut at that compound when last you traveled to the village. The pentecostal members of your family will rebuke the dominions, powers, and principalities that are "turning your head". In short, the owners of that apartment complex reasoned that their rent bracket is not what any sane Nigerian, no matter how wealthy, would want to pay and they kuku decided to make their apartment building for "whites only". That, of course, also assumed that only whites are foolish and mugu enough to pay their crazy rent - (they accepted only dollars). I was somewhat appeased by that interview because I have some "area uncles" that we still abuse to this day for paying rent in Lagos or Ilorin when "they can afford to build" their own houses. In fact, I must remember to ask my mom if she has found out "who is doing" my uncles. The only trouble is that the Okoyas should have allowed their potential customers to make that choice and not predetermine things on the basis of race for Lagosi! Who  knows whether that yeye Italian racist in Accra was selling kenkey bruschetta and shito marinara at a thousand dollars per plate and reasoned that no sane Ghanaian would move near his restaurant?

Pius

 

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From: "Akurang-Parry, Kwabena" <KAParr@ship.edu>
To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 1 November 2011, 15:16
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - 'Whites only' restaurant closed down [in Ghana]

We live in a neocolonized country - Ghana - where we worship and adore "whiteness" The "Me buroni," bluntly put, "my white superior" syndrome that we have constructed to demean ourselves. The superior "whites," include Lebanese, Syrians, Chinese, Indians, etc. and they swagger over Ghanaians and other "Black" Africans in Ghana. We privilege "whiteness" and allow non-"Blacks" to dominate and exploit us so why are we so shocked  - see discussions on Ghanaweb - that a "Whites only" restaurant had been established in Osu-Accra? We are disempowered in our own country, and I wish that we could go back to the Nkrumah era that conscientized and empowered us!  

Kwabena.

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Ghanaweb, General News of Tuesday, 1 November 2011 Source: Joy Online

'Whites only' restaurant closed down

Government has closed down a seafood restaurant in Osu, Accra for breaching Ghana's tourism laws.

The Atlantic Lobster and Dolphins Ltd is also alleged to be operating a policy of racial discrimination.

Elizabeth Okoro, a young woman with Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage accused the Italian owner of the restaurant of making racist comments.

According to her, she visited the restaurant with her Spanish friend but was shocked to learn that the restaurant was opened to whites only.

She explained the owners of the restaurant were operating a new policy in which only whites were allowed to register and become members of the club.

When she attempted to register to become a member on her second visit, she was told only whites were allowed to become members.

Elizabeth Okoro said she was stunned by the utterances by the restaurant official and vowed to resist any attempt to discriminate against blacks in Ghana or any other part of Africa.

She then blew the alarm through social network sites in a bid to raise awareness.

It appears her steadfastness has yielded dividend with government taking a prompt action against the restaurant, albeit with a different reason.

Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim Boateng has visited the restaurant and told Joy News' Israel Laryea the restaurant has been closed down.

He said the Atlantic Lobster and Dolphins Ltd is operating as a catering service and should have registered with the Ghana Tourism Board.

He said the closure is not premised on the allegations of racial discrimination but failure by the company to adhere to legislative instrument.

According to the deputy Minister, the Italian owner confirmed making the racial comments but described it only as a joke.

James Agyenim Boateng said that joke cannot be made at our own backyard.

However, the Italian owner in an interview with Joy News' Araba Koomson denied being racist.

Anthony Daliou said he is married to a Ghanaian wife who has a Ghanaian baby and could not have made such a racist comment.

 

 

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