West Africa magazine2026-01-192026-01-191969-05-24https://nigeriareposit.nln.gov.ng/handle/20.500.14186/2422Issue 2712 of West Africa Magazine (24th May, 1969) mixes Ghanaian politics, tradition, and global affairs. Published in London/distributed in Apapa, it focusses on Ghana’s election promises, profiles endangered African carvers, and bids adieu to “Native Authority”. Key stories: “Politics and promises” blasts Ghana’s vote-buying; “Portrait” spotlights fading carving traditions; “In memoriam” kills off colonial NA relic. Roundabout lauds France ditching M. Foccart. Books raves Green/Seidman on Pan-Africa economics. Elsewhere: groundnut boosts, Liberia iron ore riches (Commercial news), Gbedemah’s Ghana party/newspaper, Nigeria reshuffles commanders (Dateline Africa). A heady mix – politics, art, and ore.■ Politics and promises: PROMISES to cure unemployment, to increase wages, to reduce the cost of living, and generally to make Ghana an earthly paradise are now coming from the mushroom parties ■ Portrait: Carving out tradition: Those who fear the dying out of traditional carving in Africa for want of contemporary use for their skills ■ In memoriam: Native authority: So it’s goodbye to “Native Authority.”One of the most ancient and most cherished products of the colonial period and beyond it ■ Roundabout: Defoccartisation: Most commentators seem to agree that M. Poher, the interim president of France did a world of good to his independent image by sacking M. Foccart as Secretary-General on African affairs at the Elysee ■ Books and publications: Economics and unity: Unity or poverty? The economics of Pan-Africanism by Reginald Green and Ann Seidman ■ Commercial news: Plan to boost Groundnuts: An outline for a promotional plan to boost the growth rate of groundnuts consumption in Western Europe ■ Commercial news: Iron ore forecast: Experts believe that deposits at Wologia in north West Liberia could produce about 10m tons of iron ore a year. ■ Dateline Africa: Ghana: Gbedemah's party and newspaper: Mr K. A. Gbedemah the former finance minister who was the chief organiser of the CPP but broke with it in 1961 ■ Dateline Africa: Nigeria: Commanders reshuffled: Following an important meeting of the supreme military council in Lagos at which the budget and the war were discussedenArticle