With regard to the funeral of the late Highlife icon Daddy Lumba, Nana Yaw Akuoko Otumfuo’s Assinhene has entered the escalating debate.
He has made it clear that his family, not his wife, is the rightful owner of the renowned musician’s remains, both legally and traditionally.
While Akosua Serwaa, the late musician’s first wife, may have reasonable concerns if her husband’s properties were being shared without her knowledge, the chief emphasised in an exclusive interview with Busumuru Sean Kingston on SeanCity TV that she has no control over decisions pertaining to his funeral and burial arrangements.
His comments coincide with news that Akosua Serwaa, Daddy Lumba’s first wife, has petitioned the Kumasi High Court for an order to halt the musician’s funeral, which was set for December 6, 2025, in Kumasi.
Akosua Serwaa asserts in her court documents that she was Daddy Lumba’s sole surviving spouse in 2004 when they were officially wed in Germany.
Also, it has been discovered that she is requesting the court to designate her the single widow and stop the musician’s family and his widely known second wife, Priscilla Ofori Atta, popularly known as Odo Broni, from organizing the funeral or conducting any widowhood ceremonies.
However, the Assinhene feels that when it comes to burial affairs, Ghanaian customs cannot be overridden by such legal claims.
“The laws she’s referring to may apply in Germany where she married him, but they do not automatically apply here in Ghana, especially when it involves a customary or chieftaincy issue,” he said.
The public should respect the widow’s feelings, he added, but it’s crucial to keep in mind that Ghanaian customs place the abusua (family) in complete control of funeral and burial arrangements.
The leader of the deceased musician’s family, Abusuapanyin Kofi Owusu Boahen, has insisted that funeral arrangements are still in progress and disputed that any injunction has been served.
Source: newsthemegh.com