A Kumasi High Court has ruled that Akosua Serwaa can not carry herself as the only surviving widow of the late Highlife maestro, Charles Kwadwo Fosuh, popularly known as Daddy Lumba citing inconsistencies in the marriage certificate provided the court.
Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur stated in her ruling that the German marriage certificate submitted by Akosua Serwaa’s lawyers to assert her status as the sole surviving spouse of Daddy Lumba is not an original document, but an extract of the certificate.
The Judge also ruled that Akosua Serwaa and Odo Broni are to be acknowledged as the surviving wives of the late Daddy Lumba. Both must be accorded the necessary respect from the Abusapanyin during the widowhood rites, and there should be no obstruction to the burial of the late music legend.
The court highlighted the reasons for acknowledging both women as spouses of the late musician, noting that Priscilla Ofori, known as Odo Broni, was customarily married to Daddy Lumba prior to his passing, just as Akosua was.
The court previously dismissed Akosua Serwaa’s injunction application intended to obstruct funeral arrangements for the extended family. This decision underscored that, according to Ghanaian customary law, the body and burial rites of a deceased individual are the prerogative of the matrilineal family.
