" I know it will be no use telling Jim or some others around here that I had not a single African colleague who did not regret of the fairly recent era of British colonial government,"
A few things here Mike.
Not long ago, when we were discussing the integrating of Muslims into Britain, you pointed out, quite rightly, that basing my opinions of such matters on my 20-odd years of personal experience alone, of knowing Muslims, (had I been doing so, which I was not) was misleading.
Here, you seem to want us to accept your view of Empire on a couple of conversations with a handful of unidentified Sierra Leonians over tiffin.
Can't have it both ways Mike.
Sierra Leon was a colony of Britain from 1800 to 1961 (interestingly, it didn't abolish slavery until 1928)
Given the length of time it was under our rule, Britain has to take some responsibility for what happened when we left - you do not mop up the mess of over a century and a half in five minutes.
The British Empire had a reputation for leaving the former colonies in a 'safe pair of hands' - not necessarily safe for the Colonials, but to ascertain that they didn't stray too far off the beaten path and remained firm allies and profitable trading partners to 'Mother England'.         
Many of the sweat-labour-produced goods that fill British shops come from the former colonies.
I'm not a nationalist; if anything, I find national borders a hindrance to international friendship and co-operation, but I've learned close-up that a ruled or partitioned country will continue to be the cause of death and dissention.
Every nation has a right to self-determination, to make its own mistakes and to realise its own identity without Emperors and kings in palaces in other countries.
Terrytoon continues to bang on about The Rhodes Scholars in defence of Empire - just as he did over the 1914-18 bloodbath.
President Assad of Syria has a n English wife.
If she had set up a education trust for British scholars on the condition that it be called 'Bashar al-Assad Scholarship' and have a statue erected to him, would it be right to accept it, or if it had happened twenty odd years ago, would it be right to leave the statue where it was - (knowing Terry's and other Empire Loyalists' attitude to arms and chemical sales to Syria, I'm making this a rhetorical question, not addressed to anyone in particular).
Jim Carroll