Out of Africa, A Trade Delegation
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Thursday, May 7, 2009
For more than a week in December, the whereabouts of County Executive Jack B. Johnson were a bona fide mystery.
Staff members said he went on a trade mission to Africa.
But where? For what? To talk to whom?
All of those questions were left unanswered. No one seemed to know. Staff members in Upper Marlboro were unable to provide basic details about the trip, including who accompanied the county executive.
After Johnson returned, his office released details. It said Johnson (D) addressed the American Chamber of Commerce in Senegal, met with a Senegalese university president and attended a trade show in Cameroon with 3,000 international businesses.
He also met with U.S. ambassadors to Senegal and Cameroon and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cameroon Chamber of Commerce designed to encourage trade between Prince George's and the African nation.
The trip, which provoked criticism because it came as the county's budget deficit mounted, cost taxpayers about $30,000. Johnson's chief of staff, Michael D. Herman, a spokeswoman, Denise Roberts, and a security guard traveled to Senegal and Cameroon for the 11-day trip.
This week, Johnson kicked off a three-day conference at National Harbor by welcoming a 50-member delegation from Cameroon.
"There is no greater time than now to talk about expanding trade opportunities with U.S. business and those in West Africa, particularly Cameroon," he said.
The government officials and delegates from more than 40 Cameroonian businesses attended the meeting to expand partnerships and trade with the county and Maryland-based companies. Johnson was scheduled to sign an official sister cities agreement yesterday with the Njikwa Sub Division during a reception at Oxon Hill Manor.
County Executive Race In Full Swing On the Web
The election of the next Prince George's county executive is more than a year away, but the campaign to fill the top job is in full swing for some of the candidates.
Rushern Baker, who is making his third attempt to win the office, launched a slick Web site about two weeks ago where donors can make contributions, residents can join his grass-roots organizations and nonvoters can sign up to register.
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