Ghana News
Ghana Court Rules Daddy Lumba Didn’t Have a Single Legal Widow, Ending Weeks of High Profile Legal Battle Over Legendary Musician’s Estate
The estate and legacy of Ghanaian highlife legend Daddy Lumba — born Charles Kwadwo Fosuh — took a dramatic legal turn this week as the Kumasi High Court ruled that two women, not one, are recognized as his surviving spouses.
The ruling ends the claim by one woman that she alone should act as his legal widow and control the rights associated with his death.

⚖️ What the Court Decided
On November 28, 2025, Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur dismissed the application by Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, who argued she was the sole lawful spouse owing to a German civil marriage. The court found she failed to prove the existence of a valid civil marriage in Ghana that could exclude other wives. Instead, it determined her union with Lumba was a customary marriage.
Simultaneously, the court affirmed that Priscilla Ofori — popularly known as “Odo Broni” — is legally recognized under customary law as another wife of the deceased. This grants her the same status as a surviving spouse, with all associated rights.
As a result, the judgment establishes that Akosua Serwaa is not the only surviving spouse — both she and Odo Broni share that status.
Certified copies of the full 74-page judgment are expected to be available on December 1, 2025.
🕊️ What It Means: Funeral Rites and Estate Rights
One immediate consequence of the ruling is clarity over who can perform the final funeral rites: the court handed the family — not any single spouse — the right to determine which wife will carry out the widowhood rites, traditionally important in Ghanaian custom.
Earlier this year, the court had already dismissed an attempt by Akosua Serwaa to enjoin the extended family from proceeding with funeral arrangements. The court ruled that under Ghanaian customary law, the body of a deceased person belongs to the family, not just the spouse — regardless of any civil or customary marriage.
This reaffirmation is crucial: it reflects how Ghana’s courts may apply customary succession and burial laws even when the deceased had marriages registered under foreign civil law, such as the 2004 marriage in Germany between Lumba and Akosua Serwaa.

📚 Legal Context: Civil vs. Customary Marriage in Ghana
The ruling underscores a key feature of Ghana’s legal system: customary marriages — recognized under tribal or local laws — remain valid and carry weight, even if a foreign civil marriage also exists. But dual marriage raises complex issues, especially if customs and statutory marriage laws conflict.
In this case, the court found Akosua Serwaa failed to offer admissible evidence of a Ghana-recognized civil marriage. The German marriage certificate she presented was challenged for authenticity and translation issues, and thus could not override local customary law.
🔎 Broader Implications
- Estate and Asset Rights: With two surviving spouses recognized, any inheritance, royalties, and property claims from Lumba’s estate will likely involve both women, not just one.
- Precedent for Ghana’s Music Community: For families of artists and public figures with international ties, the ruling signals that customary law remains powerful in inheritance and burial disputes — even when foreign marriages exist.
- Clarity for Cultural Burial Practices: Ghanaian customs around widowhood rites, funeral planning, and ancestral traditions remain relevant, and courts may uphold them over foreign civil documents.
The Kumasi High Court’s decision brings legal clarity in a high-profile, emotionally charged and headlines-dominating case. It balances respect for customary law with the demands of modern civil documentation — affirming that in Ghana, heritage, tradition, and family lineage still carry weight in life and after death.
Ghana News
Ghana’s Nationwide Flood Clean-Up Kicks Off with Slow Start
ACCRA, Ghana – July 10, 2026 – A two-day nationwide clean-up exercise across seven flood-ravaged regions began Friday morning sluggishly.
Authorities have been urging residents, businesses, and institutions to ramp up participation as teams work to clear refuse, desilt choked drains, and restore public spaces following recent devastating floods.
The exercise, which commenced at 6:00 am local time, will run until 1:00 pm and resume on Saturday, July 11, during the same hours. While early-morning activity in several metropolitan areas was initially subdued, officials report that momentum is gradually building as local assemblies, waste management contractors, security services, and volunteer groups deploy to designated hotspots.
According to the government’s outlined schedule, the first day focuses on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), public and private institutions, educational bodies, and waste management firms.
Saturday’s phase will pivot toward community-led efforts, tapping into residents, traditional authorities, and volunteer networks to drive localized clean-up at the grassroots level.

In a bid to maximize turnout, non-essential shops, markets, and commercial establishments within the seven affected regions have been ordered to shut their doors from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm on both days, with exemptions granted only to essential and emergency service providers.
The Ministry has called on transport operators, religious groups, and corporate entities to actively back the initiative, framing it as a critical step toward restoring safe, hygienic communities after the flooding crisis.
Greater Accra, the epicenter of the recent deluge, hosts the bulk of the operation, with authorities identifying 104 flood-prone and affected locations across 17 assemblies. Key areas include, Ga South (Tetegu, STC, Mallam East, New Weija), Ga Central (Awoshie, Kolegu, Israel, A-Land), Ga North (Pokuase Footbridge, Ofankor Barrier), and Ga East (Dome Market, Abokobi Drain). In the capital’s core, heavy machinery and manual crews are converging on major drainage arteries such as Alajo, Kokomlemle, Pig Farm, Mamobi, Nima Highway, the Kanda stretch to Kawukudi, and the 37 Hospital corridor. Coastal communities like Teshie-Nungua, Prampram, Sege, and Tema West’s industrial and residential zones are also actively participating.
Despite the tepid start, authorities remain optimistic that participation will surge as the morning progresses, setting the stage for an even more robust community-driven effort on Saturday.
The exercise represents the government’s most visible response to the recent flooding emergency, mobilizing public administration and local governance structures to tackle the immediate environmental and health hazards facing affected populations.
Ghana News
Top 10 Newspaper Front Page Headlines in Ghana Today: Friday, July 10, 2026
Top 10 news stories on Ghanaian newspaper front pages dated Friday, July 10, 2026.
1. GHC350m Contingency Fund Release Controversy
- Appears in: The New Publisher, The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian, The Chronicle
- Summary: The Attorney General is under fire for allegedly instructing the Bank of Ghana to release GHC 350 million from the frozen Contingency Fund for flood relief, despite a court order blocking it. The Minority in Parliament is demanding a probe and blasting the AG’s “lawless” approach.
2. Abu Trica Extradited to US Over $8m Romance Scam
- Appears in: Daily Guide, Ghanaian Times, The New Publisher
- Summary: Socialite Abu Trica has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to an alleged $8 million romance fraud scheme. The extradition happened despite a lack of a court order reversing the decision on the Black Volta project (mentioned in related coverage).
3. GJA Gives NDC Chairman Seven Days to Apologise Over Obaatanpa Radio Attack
- Appears in: Supreme, Daily Guide
- Summary: The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has given the Central Regional Chairman of the NDC a seven-day ultimatum to apologise for an attack on Obaatanpa Radio. The incident has sparked significant backlash.
4. Gomoa East NPP Rallies Behind Francis Mensah for Chairman
- Appears in: Supreme, The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian, The Metro Lens
- Summary: The Gomoa East Constituency of the NPP is rallying to elect Francis Mensah as the next Constituency Chairman. This grassroots movement is a major story across multiple papers.
5. Azumah Resources Denies Reversal of Black Volta Project Ownership
- Appears in: News Centa, The Chronicle, Daily Guide
- Summary: Azumah Resources Ghana Ltd has refuted false media reports claiming that an ICC ruling reversed the acquisition of the Black Volta project. They insist they still own the project, calling the reports “a big lie.”
6. Amankwaa Donates GHC 100,000 Seed Fund to Ayawaso West NPP
- Appears in: Supreme, News Centa
- Summary: Samuel Owusu Amankwaa has donated GHC 100,000 as a seed fund to the Ayawaso West Wuogon NPP constituency ahead of the election of new executives.
7. North Dayi Boils Over: “Joycelyn Must Go” Protests
- Appears in: Supreme
- Summary: Residents of North Dayi are up in arms, with protests erupting under the banner “Joycelyn Must Go.” The protesters are chanting “Enough is Enough” over local grievances.
8. NHIA Cracks Down on Illegal Charges in Eastern Region
- Appears in: The Metro Lens
- Summary: The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched a crackdown on illegal charges being imposed on patients in the Eastern Region. The NHIA Boss is leading the effort.
9. $208m Methamphetamine Scandal
- Appears in: The Ghanaian Publisher, The Custodian
- Summary: An MP is demanding the prosecution of officials involved in a $208 million methamphetamine scandal. There are also calls for the government to name officials implicated, with accusations of a cover-up.
10. National Sanitation Exercise and Flood Recovery Clean-Up
- Appears in: Supreme, The Punch, The New Publisher, News Centa
- Summary: A nationwide clean-up exercise is underway to aid flood recovery, with various political figures and MCEs rallying residents to participate. The exercise is scheduled for the weekend, with a focus on recovery from recent floods.
Ghana News
President Mahama Backs Tighter Checks on His Own Office in Upcoming Constitution Vote
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana’s Cabinet will meet on Friday, July 10, 2026, to finalise the government’s position paper on constitutional reform.
The process is expected to recommend significant curbs on executive power, including tighter checks on the presidency itself.
The reforms stem from a year-long nationwide consultation conducted by the eight-member Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), chaired by Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, which submitted its final report to the President in December 2025.
The committee’s report, titled “Transforming Ghana: From Electoral Democracy to Developmental Democracy,” addressed perennial governance challenges and recommended measures to strengthen institutional checks and balances.
Speaking at the Jubilee House on Tuesday during a farewell ceremony for Switzerland’s outgoing Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, President Mahama confirmed that significant progress had been made.
“I am pleased to inform you that we have made significant progress. Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to finalise the Government’s Position Paper on the Constitutional Review,” President Mahama said.
He explained that once Cabinet concludes its work, the Legal Counsel and the Attorney-General would take one or two weeks to consolidate the document. It would then be handed over, together with the CRC’s report, to the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to begin implementation.
President Mahama described the 1992 Constitution as one of the finest Ghana has ever had, noting that it had provided the foundation for the Fourth Republic — the longest-serving republic in the country’s history.
“We therefore believe that any amendments to the Constitution should strengthen it further and ensure that it remains a living document capable of serving Ghana effectively for the next three decades and beyond,” he said.
The Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations are understood to include proposals to separate the Executive from the Legislature — preventing Members of Parliament from being appointed as ministers — as well as measures to decentralise power and enhance accountability.
The committee also recommended amendments to Chapter 25 of the Constitution to introduce a third route for amending entrenched provisions.
Ambassador Giger, who has supported the constitutional reform process throughout her four-year tenure in Ghana, welcomed the progress.
“We have always rooted for Ghana because we genuinely believe that constitutional reform is central to the country’s future development,” she said, adding, “If Ghana succeeds in adopting a truly people’s constitution, one that decentralises power, strengthens checks and balances on the Executive, and incorporates the many important reforms currently under consideration, I believe the future of this country will be exceptionally bright.”
President Mahama also used the occasion to acknowledge Switzerland’s support for Ghana’s small and medium enterprises, particularly in agro-processing and agribusiness, an area he described as one of the missing links in the country’s agricultural value chain.
The constitutional review process, initiated in 2025, follows two previous attempts that failed to build sufficient consensus for significant change.
The government has pledged to establish the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to oversee the roll-out of the reforms.
Once the position paper is finalised and consolidated, it will be made public and subjected to the necessary constitutional and parliamentary scrutiny.
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