Lumba’s family pleads for calm as court battle threatens his final farewell
The family of the late highlife legend, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, has denied claims by the musician’s widow, Madam Akosua Serwaa Fosu, that she has been sidelined in the planning of his funeral.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (10 October), the family’s spokesperson and funeral planning committee coordinator, Hon. Collins Owusu Amankwa, said the widow and her representatives have been actively involved in all deliberations regarding the final funeral rites.
“From day one, through the vigil, the one-week celebration and the meetings toward the final funeral, Madam Serwaa and her assigns have been duly informed and represented,” Amankwa said. “Her eldest son and her brother are members of the funeral committee, so it’s surprising to hear that she has been excluded.”
The comments follow a lawsuit filed by Madam Serwaa Fosu at the Accra High Court challenging the family’s decision to allow another woman, identified as Priscilla Ofori, also known as “Odo Broni,” to perform traditional widowhood rites. The plaintiff claims she is the only legal spouse of the late musician, having married him under German law in 2004.
Owusu Amankwa, however, insisted that under Akan custom, decisions regarding widowhood rites rest solely with the deceased’s family.
“When it comes to widowhood rites, it’s at the discretion of the deceased’s family,” he explained. “Nobody, including the wife, can compel the family to determine who should perform those rites. It’s purely a matter of tradition.”
The family spokesperson further revealed that plans for the final funeral rites remain unchanged, with the ceremony scheduled for 6 December at the Mabeyara High School park in Kumasi, in collaboration with the royal family of Pakoso in Nsuta.
“There’s no injunction on the burial or funeral service,” he clarified. “As far as the family is concerned, everything will proceed as planned.”
Despite the ongoing legal tussle, Owusu Amankwa said the family prefers an amicable settlement.
“Litigation has no end,” he said. “We are one family, and Daddy Lumba would not be happy to see his loved ones divided. We’ll keep working to ensure a peaceful resolution.”
