A Jamaican is Liberia's new first lady

MONROVIA, Liberia (CMC) — A Jamaican has become the first lady of Liberia following the election of her husband as the new president of this West African nation.

Clar Weah's husband, George Weah, a former FIFA World Player of the Year, won the presidency in the Liberian electoral run-off on December 26.

Clar, who was born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents, migrated to Fort Lauderdale in the United States where she runs a thriving Caribbean restaurant and grocery store.

According to reports, the couple met in a bank in the US where Clar worked as a customer service officer.

“Clar, who unlike most women of Caribbean descent, dresses simply, is regarded not only as a brilliant strategist but great canvasser as well, whose bright smile even in difficult moments is able to break barriers,” said the Punch newspaper in a recent article. “Close allies describe her as intelligent and possessing a special type of aura.

“The Jamaican wields a lot of power around her husband and could further expand her power base once he assumes office as the President of Liberia in January 2018,” the Punch continued.

Liberia, a country yet to fully recover from many years of civil war and senseless bloodletting, might not be popular with many around the world but that has not stopped the name — George Weah — from being prominent on the lips of millions across continents, the Punch said.