New details emerging from the ongoing dispute over the funeral of late highlife legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu (Daddy Lumba) reveal a deepening crisis inv
New details emerging from the ongoing dispute over the funeral of late highlife legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu (Daddy Lumba) reveal a deepening crisis involving legal battles, financial wrangling, and soaring mortuary charges.
What began as a private family disagreement has now evolved into a high-stakes confrontation involving the courts, a funeral home, and allegations of secrecy and mismanagement.
Funeral Home Raises Body-Keeping Fee from GH¢10,000 to GH¢80,000
Reports said the Transition Funeral Home has sharply revised upward the cost for keeping Daddy Lumba’s remains—from an initial GH¢10,000 to a staggering GH¢80,000.
The funeral home reportedly informed the family that the new charges are a direct result of the ongoing legal tussle.
The facility had earlier agreed with the family that any legal complications or court-related delays would attract additional costs, which would be incorporated into the final invoice. With the suit now fully active in court, the funeral home says the extended preservation period and legal liabilities justify the revised figure.
A Family At War Over Funeral Control
Since Daddy Lumba’s death on July 26, 2025, simmering tensions within the musician’s family have erupted into full-scale conflict.
Members of the late musician’s immediate (nuclear) family have accused the wider Abusuapanin-led family of sidelining them, making secret decisions, and hijacking funeral preparations.
The dispute intensified after a Kumasi High Court previously ruled that both of Lumba’s partners—Akosua Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori—were entitled to perform widowhood rites. Instead of resolving tensions, the ruling deepened divisions, with both women’s families demanding representation in funeral planning.
Immediate Family Files Lawsuit to Halt Funeral
The crisis took a dramatic turn when the immediate family—Obaapanin Afia Adomah, Wofa Yaw Poku, Georgina Gyamfi, Ernestina Fosuh, and Nana Afia Kobi—filed a lawsuit seeking to stop all funeral arrangements until critical issues surrounding the musician’s death are clarified.
They have accused Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, the head of the extended family, of:
Concealing the musician’s death from his core relatives
Authorising a secret autopsy without their consent
Making unilateral decisions on funeral arrangements
Taking control of public donations collected at the one-week observance
Operating a private funeral committee despite Manhyia’s intervention
The plaintiffs claim they were shocked to discover that the autopsy had been completed without their knowledge, prompting them to file a criminal complaint with the Police Homicide Unit to investigate possible procedural irregularities and the true cause of death.
Injunction Sought Against Transition Funeral Home
To prevent what they call an “unauthorised release” of the body, the immediate family has asked the court to restrain:
Transition Funeral Home from releasing the body
Abusuapanin Owusu from taking custody of it
CalBank from allowing withdrawals from the “Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation” account
They argue that only a court order can prevent the extended family from rushing ahead with funeral plans while key questions—about death, donations, and legitimacy—remain unresolved.
Cash Donations Under Scrutiny: Who Controls the “DL Foundation” Account?
Another major flashpoint is the management of public donations collected during the one-week celebration.
These funds were deposited into the DL Foundation account at CalBank, which the plaintiffs say is now under the unilateral control of Abusuapanin Owusu.
The immediate family alleges:
Unauthorized withdrawals were made
A funeral committee was formed without their consent
Attempts to obtain financial accountability were ignored
There is a risk that all funds may be depleted before the final funeral rites
Their legal filings warn that unless the court intervenes, “Owusu will continue to squander monies meant for the funeral.”
Manhyia Palace Intervention Fails to Resolve Tensions
The Asantehene’s Palace had earlier stepped in to dissolve the initial funeral committee and set up a new one.
But according to the plaintiffs, despite this traditional intervention, Abusuapanin Owusu continued to operate as if nothing had changed—retaining funds, authority, and responsibility for both the funeral and financial accounts.
A Mourning Nation Watches as Family Feud Deepens
As the December 11 court hearing approaches, the feud over Daddy Lumba’s funeral has escalated into one of the most contentious celebrity estates in recent Ghanaian history.
The issues now span: Mortuary fees inflated by legal delays, conflicting funeral dates, autopsy secrecy accusations, court battles over access to the body, disputes over cash donations, and extended family vs. nuclear family power struggle.
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