Monrovia — United States Congress Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, leading a Congressional delegation to Liberia, yesterday assured President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf that the U.S. will help Liberia to become "a great success story."

The Congresswoman responded to a statement by the Liberian leader after the President said she wanted to make her country an "African success story".

Although Liberia is on the U.S. supplementary budget, Pelosi said, her government was interested in knowing the priorities of the West African state. "We shall not hesitate to provide assistance" she added.

"I cannot think of any day more exciting than the day on which we had come to congratulate you," the Congress Minority Leader said. She said they were excited not because Madam Sirleaf is a woman. It so happens that Madam Sirleaf is the first woman in Africa to be elected Head of State.

James E. Clyburn, Democratic Caucus chairman, introduced the other members of the delegation to Madam Sirleaf. In brief remarks that each made, they reiterated the support of the U.S. for Sirleaf's government.

Representative Maxine Waters added, "Our support to you should not be in terms of dollars; we want to get directly from you what you want." She described Sirleaf's election as one that has "set a change for the whole of Africa."

Earlier, President Sirleaf told the United States Congressional delegation that her government would need more U.S. aid in addition to what is being pumped by the world power into the war-ravaged nation.

The Liberian leader acknowledged the enormous contributions that the United States was making to the recovery of her country, especially its security sector reform and added, "We still need the U.S. assistance".

She explained that the nearly one and the half decades of fighting have visited destruction on the country. She said this required assistance to deal with the destroyed infrastructure, the rehabilitation and education of the nation's vast numbers of traumatized and unschooled youth and the thousand of ex-combatants that need to be reintegrated into the society.

The President said she had already taken steps to improve conditions in the country. She referred to the implementation of the Government Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) with expatriates now assigned at key government Ministries and Agencies with executive powers.

She reiterated her determination to fight against corruption, the scourge that has blighted the country in its over one and a half centuries of existence, producing poverty, illiteracy, under-development and instability.

President Sirleaf informed the delegation of the Code of Conduct, which is soon to come into place for public officials; the commissioning of audits of the country's past functionaries; and the review of concession agreements to ensure that these offer just benefits to the Liberian people. These measures, she said, will be central to her fight to minimizing public corruption.

"Our commitment is strong and firm," she declared. She then revealed her intention to put the country on a track as an African success story. She pledged to lead a government that would be responsive to the people, allowing them to form part of national policy decision making.

Madam Sirleaf then thanked the members of the delegation for all their support to the country over the years. She also expressed similar kind words to President George Bush and government and people of the United States.

She gave recognition to the U.S. leadership role in the donors' conference on Liberia held in Washington in February 2004. The President said that helped the country to sustain its peace and to embark on the process of national renewal.

Since 2003, when belligerent Liberian groups in Accra, Ghana, signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the U.S. has spent about one billion dollars in the country.

It may be recalled that U.S. Ambassador Donald Booth recently reported that his country funds one out of every four of the 15,000 UN peacekeepers now deployed to maintain Liberia's peace.

Ambassador Booth accompanied the Congressional delegation of nine Democrats and one Republican representative to the Mansion.

At the end of the meeting, Congresswoman Pelosi presented President Sirleaf with a gift of appreciation. A reception was tendered for the delegation on the South Lawn of the Executive Mansion.

UN Multilateral Delegation at the Mansion

Earlier, the President met with a UN multilateral delegation for discussions aimed at enhancing the humanitarian process in the country.

Dennis McNamara, special advisor to the Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of Inter-Agency Internal Displacement Division, headed the delegation. It included ambassadors from Sweden, the UK and Norway.

McNamara said he regretted that the donor community was doing little to help what he called this "beautiful country" of Liberia to exploit its rich agricultural potential.

He, however, revealed that there were other factors affecting humanitarian works in the country. He named the under-capacity of the police and the need to strengthen the country's justice system whereby the rule of law will work in a "rudimentary way".