When a Nigerian says "fine pass" he means very good quality. When he says "fine pass kerosene" he means the very best. The British Labor government's high-minded intentions toward its African empire were certainly "fine pass kerosene"; but its performance was "soso talk" (ineffectual messing around).
Last week the House of Commons took stock of the government's African policy. Before it lay a scathing report of an all-party Estimates Committee which had examined on the spot a $220 million plan for Nigerian development. The committee found (and the Commons debate tended to...