A spokesperson for the late Daddy Lumba’s sisters has revealed that the highlife legend had plans to relocate to Germany before his death, claiming the musician had already prepared his luggage for departure, adding another layer to the intensifying disputes over funeral arrangements for Ghana’s music icon.
Nana Kwasi Sarfo, speaking on behalf of Daddy Lumba’s sisters, told Zionfelix in an interview that “Lumba wanted to relocate to Germany. Everyone who lived with him knew about this. But for the death, he would have left Ghana for Germany”, suggesting the musician may have been planning a permanent move before his passing.
The disclosure comes amid escalating tensions between multiple factions of the late musician’s family, with disputes centering on who has authority over funeral arrangements and what constitutes legitimate marriage under both German statutory law and Ashanti customary practice.
Sarfo disclosed that the sisters are considering seeking an injunction on the funeral proceedings because they were not consulted about arrangements. “The sisters of the late musician say they will not allow the funeral to be held until they know what killed their brother,” he stated, expressing frustration that family members learned about funeral dates through social media rather than direct consultation.
The sisters’ position represents one side of a complex multi-party dispute that has paralyzed planning for the funeral of Charles Kwadwo Fosuh, known professionally as Daddy Lumba, who died at age 67. His elder sister Ernestina Fosu and his German wife Akosua Serwaa have separately called for the immediate dissolution of the funeral planning committee, accusing coordinator Collins Owusu Amankwah of lacking transparency.
The core legal dispute stems from Daddy Lumba’s 2004 statutory marriage in Germany to Akosua Serwah Fosuh, which under German Civil Code Section 1306 enforces strict monogamy. Under Ghanaian law, any subsequent customary marriage would constitute bigamy, creating a legal quagmire about which relationships hold validity and who has authority over funeral decisions.
The Fosu Royal Family, through lawyers at Baba Jamal & Associates, argued in an October 1, 2025 letter that Akosua Serwah Fosuh’s marriage was no longer valid, alleging she deserted her husband by refusing to relocate to Ghana during his illness and subsequently presented traditional drinks signifying a customary dissolution of marriage.
This counterclaim directly challenges Akosua Serwah’s assertion of being the sole legitimate spouse with authority over funeral arrangements. The family’s position reflects Ashanti customary practices around marriage dissolution, which may not align with German statutory requirements for divorce.
The funeral dispute has taken on added complexity with Nana Kwasi Sarfo also claiming that Daddy Lumba was never married to another woman known as Odo Broni, addressing yet another relationship that has generated public discussion since the musician’s death. These competing narratives about the musician’s personal life underscore the challenges facing any effort to organize funeral proceedings that satisfy all parties.
In a detailed statement dated October 10, 2025, signed by the family secretary on behalf of Ernestina Fosu and Akosua Serwaa, they demanded transparency from the funeral committee, suggesting at least temporary alignment between the elder sister and the German wife despite the broader family disputes.
The allegations about Daddy Lumba’s plans to relocate to Germany add poignant context to the dispute. If accurate, they suggest the musician may have been contemplating returning to the country where he built significant parts of his career and where his statutory marriage took place, potentially indicating his own preferences about which relationships and jurisdictions he considered primary.
Germany played a crucial role in Daddy Lumba’s musical development. The German Embassy in Accra paid tribute to the late musician in July 2025, mourning his death and honoring his profound impact on music and culture both in Ghana and abroad, acknowledging the connection between his time in Germany and his artistic legacy.
The competing claims, legal arguments, and family tensions have created a situation requiring judicial intervention to resolve. The deadlock between European statutory law and West African customary practice could set an irreversible legal precedent affecting how future cases involving international marriages and traditional customs are adjudicated in Ghana.
For fans and the broader public, the disputes cast a shadow over mourning for one of Ghana’s most beloved musicians. Daddy Lumba’s contributions to highlife music transcended the personal complexities now being aired publicly, yet those complexities threaten to overshadow his artistic legacy.
The sisters’ threat to seek an injunction represents the latest escalation in disputes that have already involved multiple legal letters, public statements, and accusations between various family factions. Whether courts will intervene or parties will reach consensus remains uncertain.
What’s clear is that organizing a funeral befitting Daddy Lumba’s stature has become entangled in fundamental questions about marriage validity, family authority, and the intersection of different legal and cultural systems. Until these issues find resolution, Ghana’s effort to properly honor one of its musical giants remains in limbo.
The revelation about relocation plans adds human dimension to legal disputes. It portrays Daddy Lumba as someone potentially caught between different worlds and relationships, planning moves that death prevented from materializing. Whether these plans factor into determining funeral authority remains to be seen.
As various parties consult lawyers and consider legal actions, the public watches a family drama unfold around a figure who brought joy to millions through his music. The hope remains that parties can find common ground honoring Daddy Lumba’s memory while respecting both legal requirements and cultural traditions, even as current trajectories suggest courts may need to impose solutions that negotiation cannot achieve.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
