West Africa magazine2025-12-162025-12-161980-04-28https://nigeriareposit.nln.gov.ng/handle/20.500.14186/2401Issue 3275 of West Africa Magazine(April 28, 1980) tackles OAU challenges, Ghana's Catholic centenary, and Liberia's turmoil. Published in London/distributed in Apapa, it covers President Tolbert's death, Pope John Paul's Ghana visit, and OAU's economic focus. Key stories: “A problem for OAU” notes Tolbert's death; Ghana preps for Pope's visit; “OAU turns to development” previews Lagos summit. Elsewhere: Ivory Coast's economy (Farmers and foreigners), Liberia's executions spark outrage, Ghana timber trade woes (Timber politics), and Nigeria's 'Oligate' scandal (Dateline Africa). A mix – summits, diplomacy, and controversy.■ A problem for the OAU: President William Tolbert was the first OAU chairman to die in office in the organisation’s 17year history ■ Ghana’s Catholic centenary: Pope John Paul it is due to arrive in Ghana on May 8, 1980 as part of his African tour beginning on May 2,the other countries the pontiff is visiting are Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Congo, Zaire and Kenya ■ The OAU turns to development: Enokura Joe Okoli reports from Lagos on the final run-up to the OAU Economic Summit and the unexpected constitutional problems involved ■ Farmers and foreigners: In his second article on the Ivory Coast, Alex Rondos considers the two main groups contributing to the country's economy and how the state responds to them. ■ In the cause of the Liberian people...? Brutality is not a matter of frontiers or racial divisions. The inefficient and rough executions of 13 former men of power in Liberia do not compare with the mass murders of Buchenwald, the flash killing of hundreds of thousands at Hiroshima ■ Timber politics in Ghana: •Lift the (LOG) ban and save the timber trade from total collapse’” seems to be the consistent war-cry of a section of the Ghanaian timber business community ■ Books and publications: The remarkable Mungo: Mungo Park by Kenneth Lupton ■ Economic and business news: Changing fortunes: After rising for six consecutive months the international Monetary Funds price e index of commodities, other than oil and precious metals — categories which everybody ■ Dateline Africa: Nigeria: Tempers rise over 'Oligate' Judicial commission named: Tempers are rising high over the alleged N2,800m missing from the funds of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.enArticle