Death of Joseph Sankara, Drug menace in Ghana, Prof Chike Obi and Prez Election in Gambia · Global Voices
Oluniyi D. Ajao

Under the Acacias writes about Burkina Faso's Independence anniversary and the death of Joseph Sankara, father of former President Thomas Sankara: What a difference a week makes in Burkina Faso
The death of Joseph Sankara, father of former president Thomas
Sankara,this week has added to a week already full of emotive memories
for Burkina Faso.
Yesterday, August 5th, was Burkina Faso's Independence Day. On Aug. 5,
1960, Upper Volta, as it was then called, achieved full independence
from France, and the country is therefore just 68 days older than me!
The new president Maurice Yameogo inherited an impoverished country that
had lacked the kind of investment France had given to neighbouring Cote
d'Ivoire, and he was later deposed in a coup in 1966.
The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…of Ghana blogs about three issues: “The Unbearable Lightness of Being West African;  Liberia’s 150-year anniversary;  Menacing Problem of Drugs”. We are however highlighting The Drug Menace
Like a scene right out of Hollywood, the drugs affair exploded into the
consciousness of Ghanaians a few weeks ago when some drugs disappeared
off a boat, MV Benjamin, when it docked at Tema. Unlike in the 1995
gangster thriller, The Usual Suspects, where $91 million of cocaine in a
boat, docked at a pier in South Pedro, just south of L.A., exploded
along with the boat, in Ghana, the boat, containing many millions of
dollars worth of cocaine, simply disappeared—without a trace.
That is until the revelation of complicity over the drugs, followed by
the swift arrest (on the orders of Attorney-General/Minister of Justice
Joe Ghartey) of four putative drug barons two days ago at a public
hearing under the aegis of Justice Georgina Woode’s eponymous committee
that had been set up to look into the disappearance of the 77 parcels of
missing cocaine.
Scribbles from the Den introduces a new Cameroonian blog “Introducing the Imhotep Blog“
The author also shares some thought about renowned-mathematician, Professor Chike Obi.
You  most likely  do not know the distinguished looking man on the right, but perhaps you should. If you are a Nigerian or English-speaking Cameroonian who has tried to exercise academic excellence, he has influenced you directly or indirectly through people whom he has influenced. He is the legendary Nigerian  mathematician, Chike Obi. Growing up, the name Chike Obi was synonymous with superhuman mathematical ability. I did not even believe that he was a real person until my aunt and I went to visit the late Professor Obenson at his office at the University of Lagos. Next door or a few doors down were the magical words: “Professor Chike Obi, Head of Department of Mathematics”. I nearly fainted.
The man was real! You must understand, I was and am still in awe of good mathematicians, because my own math has always been mediocre at best. Furthermore, the great man walked in his office as I stood there. As a
well-raised African teenager, I did not go disturbing my elders even though I was a fan. Besides, I thought, if he was anything like Dr Bokossa, I did not want to be disturbing his peace.
And Gambian blog Home of the mandinmories shares an opinion about the up-coming Presidential elections in Gambia: So they write letters…
With barely a month before the September presidential polls, leaders of the two opposition political alliances in the Gambia exchange letters on the way forward, vis-a-vis a grand alliance to take on the APRC. After reading through the missives, I am pessimistic that the parties will ever reach common ground within the limited time frame they have. The letters are devoid of pragmatism. The parties to the talks are taking a defensive stance and trying to protect their turf. I hate to say this, but in my humble opinion the game is up and reconciliation between the UDP/NRP alliance and NADD ain't gonna happen. The winner of this untenable and obtuse behavior is Yahya Jammeh and his APRC.