The funeral of the late Charles Kwadwo Fosu, widely known as Daddy Lumba, has become embroiled in a legal dispute as relatives seek to halt the organization of his final rites. The immediate family, led by Obaapanin Afia Adomah and Robert Gyamfi, has filed for an interlocutory injunction to prevent further arrangements overseen by Kofi Owuau, the head of the Ekuona Royal Family of Nsuta and Parkoso. The family accuses Owuau of sidelining them in the funeral planning process and making unauthorized withdrawals from the memorial fund, raising serious concerns about the management of the late singer’s final arrangements.
Central to the dispute is the existence of a memorial account at CAL Bank, opened under the banner “Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation LBG,” into which donations made during the one-week observance of the musician’s death were deposited. According to the applicants, the committee that initially managed the one-week event has been dissolved, and a new committee was to be formed to oversee the funeral arrangements. However, before the family agreed on signatories to the fund, Kofi Owuau made withdrawals amounting to GHC 71,000 without their approval and reportedly sought to access an additional GHC 200,000. This unilateral action has sparked accusations that he has assumed sole control over the funeral arrangements, sidelining the immediate family.
The applicants also revealed that after the death of Daddy Lumba, Owuau formed a funeral committee without informing or involving the immediate family members. This prompted the family to report the matter to the Manhyia Palace, which intervened by directing Owuau to desist from making decisions without the family’s consent. Despite the palace’s directive, Owuau reportedly set a burial date of December 13 and mounted billboards advertising the funeral plans, actions the family says were carried out without their knowledge or approval.
Beyond the internal family conflict, there is concern that proceeding with the funeral arrangements at this stage could obstruct ongoing police investigations into the circumstances surrounding Daddy Lumba’s death. The applicants argue that the hurried funeral could hamper fact-finding efforts and deny the family the opportunity to give the late musician a dignified burial that fully reflects his status and legacy.
Seeking justice, the immediate family has asked the court to restrain the respondents—including the funeral home engaged to manage the final rites—from organizing the funeral without their involvement. They emphasize that depletion of the memorial funds without their consent would cause irreparable harm. The family maintains that their responsibility is to ensure a burial fitting of Daddy Lumba’s stature and that an injunction would not harm the defendants, who have no direct stake in the funds. The court is expected to hear the case on Thursday, December 11, as the family fights to regain control over the funeral proceedings.
Source: Ohemaa Adusi-Poku