The Accra High Court has given the green light for the funeral of Daddy Lumba to be held tomorrow, marking a sharp reversal of an earlier ruling after the plaintiffs failed to deposit two million cedis with the court.
The ruling ended a dramatic day of legal back-and-forth that had thrown the funeral plans of one of Ghana’s most celebrated musicians into uncertainty. By mid-morning on Friday, the court had halted preparations altogether. By mid-afternoon, it had effectively cleared the way for the burial to proceed.
The initial injunction was secured by members of Daddy Lumba’s maternal family. They argued that they had been sidelined in decisions about the funeral and that the family head, Kofi Owusu, was moving ahead without the broad customary consultation expected in Akan family structures. Their application accused Mr Owusu of unilaterally controlling arrangements, including financial contributions and the release of the body from Transitions Funeral Home.
The judge agreed that there was evidence suggesting fractures within the broader family and uncertainty over whether all customary stakeholders had been properly involved. As a result, the court restrained Mr Owusu from carrying out the funeral rites and directed Transitions not to release the body until the substantive issues had been addressed. That ruling effectively put the funeral on hold.
By midday, however, the case took a different turn. The judge recalled counsel and issued a new directive: the injunction would stand only if the applicants deposited two million cedis with the court registry by 2 p.m. The sum was meant to cover expenses already incurred for the funeral, including venue, logistics, streaming arrangements and hospitality costs that would be lost if the ceremony were stopped at the last minute.
The applicants were given less than two hours to comply. When the 2 p.m. deadline passed, no payment had been made. With that, the injunction fell away and the court confirmed that the funeral scheduled for Saturday could proceed without restriction.
The case is the latest chapter in a series of disputes that have surfaced since the death of the musician, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, in July at the age of 60. While the public tributes have been extensive, behind the scenes the family has struggled to reach consensus on almost every aspect of the funeral.
Well before Friday’s hearings, another court had been asked to determine who could properly call herself a widow of the late musician. Two women – both of whom described themselves as wives of Daddy Lumba – appeared before the court earlier this year seeking legal recognition. Their rivalry became entangled with the wider funeral dispute because customary practice requires widows to be formally acknowledged before they can play designated roles in final rites.
That earlier ruling did not make a definitive pronouncement on the matrimonial claims but directed the parties to produce documentary and customary evidence. It also warned that any funeral arrangements must not present any one claimant as the sole widow until the matter was resolved. The ongoing disagreement among the women added to the tensions already present in the wider family and fed into the court’s caution in today’s decision.
The legal battles surrounding Lumba’s funeral reflect the complexity of Akan family systems. Under customary law, the maternal family wields significant authority in funeral decisions, especially in matters of tradition, lineage and representation. At the same time, the Abusuapanyin – the recognized head of the family – often speaks for the broader clan and coordinates logistics, financial planning and relations with the public.
Tensions arise when these roles overlap or when relations between the branches break down. In high-profile cases such as this, disagreements often spill into court because the stakes are higher: financial contributions are large, the public interest is intense and the symbolic weight of the ceremony is significant.
Tomorrow’s funeral is now expected to proceed as originally planned in Kumasi, with crowds of mourners expected and major musicians prepared to perform in tribute. The underlying dispute, however, is far from resolved. The substantive matters – including leadership of the funeral, recognition of widows and control of funds – may return to court in the coming weeks.
