EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:

MY GREATEST CHALLENGE - PRESIDENT JOHNSON-SIRLEAF

Meet President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. As the face of the many developmental evolutionary paradigm possibilities in millennial Africa, she became the President of Liberia, Africa’s first independent modern nation state. She is not allowing the opportunities of her immense connections and international goodwill to pass by. Recently, she was in the United States of America for multi-lateral consultations and diplomacy during which she continued to speak out as the Chief Sales person of the now peaceful nation. She accepted several impressive awards.

An Associate Editor of Pointblanknews.com, BEN BANGOURA spoke with President Sirleaf during her most recent visit to the U.S.

Excerpts:

President Sirleaf, what do you make of your latest visit in Washington?

It has been a very important visit for me. I had the opportunity to receive several awards, including The W. Averell Harriman Democracy award, the Africare award, and the Bishop John T. Walker award. I was able to discuss the current social and political situation of Liberia, as well the role of nongovernmental organizations in the reconstruction of the nation’s social and economic infrastructure. I was fortunate to meet with President Bush to review some of our progress and the support we get from the American government and people. These are contacts I value very much.

In practical terms, how would these contacts and awards transform lives of ordinary Liberians?

First of all, it’s the recognition of some of the good things we have done in Liberia, and we are thankful for that. I am also thankful for the opportunities to meet with those who continue to be our strategic partners: The National Democratic Institute, Africare, the private sector, and many other institutions to which I have been talking to about Liberia’s trend, and I tried to push that agenda a little bit. I also would name the IMF and the World Bank.

In numerous speeches given here, you said you want to be remembered as a President who turns Liberia into beacon of stability and progress. How are you doing on that so far?

We made a lot of progress in all areas. We are trying to make sure that we get the security and stability we need to revive our economy, rebuild our infrastructure, put our children back in school, and create jobs for young people; and to try to get government machinery operating efficiently and effectively so as to manage our resources for the good of our people.

What is your biggest challenge right now?

My biggest challenge right now is how to find jobs for the thousands and thousands of war-affected youths and to get them into skill-training programs.

Liberia shares substantial economic ties with neighboring Guinea. One particular area of interest is the mining project in Nimba. How important is this project to the Sirleaf administration?

We have not started talking about that yet. What we have done is to revive the Mano River Union, which includes Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. We already have had two summits in Guinea. I may say for President Conté, Prime Minister Kouyaté, and myself that we hope we can, through the Mano River Union, move toward better regional cooperation and integration. During that time we can start talking about the mines in Nimba.