Nigeria, Jan. 12 -- Let no one tell you that Nigeria is a poor country. This is a country of bottomless lucre. Nigeria is a rich country but its citizens are poor. The few who are rich are filthy rich. They are so rich that their wealth is an embarrassment to civilisation. The ratio is one billionaire to one million beggars.

In our younger days, there was a middle class. Now, the middle class has been wiped out. You're either poor or rich. Beggary has been institutionalised. The only difference between one man and his neighbour is his level of destitution.

Nigeria used to be a country where everything worked. To a reasonable level, wealth was fairly distributed. The super rich had factories or commercial establishments where they sweate...