A family dispute has clouded the final farewell of Ghanaian highlife legend Daddy Lumba, as his maternal relatives have turned to the Accra High Court to assert their authority over his burial and associated arrangements.
The relatives—five principal members of his maternal family—say they have been sidelined in critical decisions surrounding the funeral. In a lawsuit filed on December 3, they argue that not only has their consent not been sought for the release of the music icon’s body, but financial decisions are also being made without their involvement.
The suit seeks to stop Transitions Funeral Home from releasing Lumba’s remains to anyone unless they approve. They are also pushing for the freezing of the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation bank account at CAL Bank, alleging unauthorized withdrawals by individuals they describe as members of a “dissolved committee.”
Among their demands are:
Blocking access to the foundation’s funds
A refund of monies withdrawn without proper authority
Reassigning account signatories
Barring the defendants from playing any role in the musician’s funeral arrangements
The legal battle throws the scheduled December 13 burial into doubt, leaving fans and loved ones uncertain about when and how the highlife legend will be laid to rest.
The High Court will hear the case today, December 11, a ruling many hope will restore calm and clarity.
