Travelin’ Tony’s First Monument

The first building bearing the name of Mayor Anthony A. Williams could be in the perfect place for a guy who set the standard for D.C. mayoral travel: Accra, Ghana.

The idea was dropped by the mayor of Ghana’s capital city, Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson—one of the dignitaries Williams hung out with during his spring break on the African continent.

“Mayor Williams, we have thrown a big challenge to him,” Blankson told reporters at Williams’ Aug. 23 press conference. “We have acquired vacant land in the heart of the city. We want Mayor Williams to adopt that land so that we can build a secondary school which will be named after Mayor Williams.”

The mayor’s press office had no details on what adopting land in Ghana involved. The Ghanian embassy wasn’t sure about Blankson’s offer, either. Let’s just say it seems like Williams will have to cough up more than a key to the city if he wants school-naming rights.

The Anthony A. Williams Secondary School would not only be a testament to the mayor’s hefty frequent-flier account. Blankson’s offer raises the real prospect that Williams will purchase, acquire or at least adopt land overseas before ever owning property in the District.

Williams was surprised by the challenge, but appeared ready to step up. “As a private citizen, I do want to help, in a number of ways, the people of Ghana.”