Akosua Serwaa Is Ill-Advised: This Litigation Serves No Purpose

The customary marriage between highlife icon Daddy Lumba and his first wife, Akosua Serwaa—judicially affirmed—remains legally valid and produced three or four children. Even his songs pay tribute to her role in his early career. Undeniably, Odo Broni (Priscilla Ofori) entered his life later, cohabiting as husband and wife for more than 15 years while supporting him through his greatest challenges. For all intents and purposes, she fulfilled the duties of a wife during that extended period.

Akosua Serwaa’s current efforts seem aimed at leveraging a marriage certificate from a 15-year separation to supersede the rights of the woman who shouldered marital responsibilities in her absence. This approach is inherently unjust. Moreover, the notion that German law mandates spousal consent for divorce—rendering marriage akin to imprisonment if one party withholds approval—is untenable and unsupported. Why, then, pursue this claim after a 15-year hiatus, if not to stake a claim on property?

This underscores the true crux: assets. Her abrupt demand to perform widowhood rites feels more like a calculated ploy than authentic cultural observance. Few abandon a marriage for over a decade, only to reemerge exclusively for such rites.

Should Daddy Lumba have died testate, his will would dictate estate distribution—likely favoring the partner who stood by him and helped raise six children with a significant share. If intestate, Odo Broni and her children would still claim the bulk under customary law, even if her spousal status faces appellate scrutiny.

Thus, who truly gains from this drawn-out, futile courtroom saga?

In closing, praise is due to Daddy Lumba’s eldest son, whose poised coordination between his two mothers during the one-week celebration fostered harmony and restraint. He deserves encouragement to intervene again, guiding his mothers toward reconciliation and halting this unseemly contest over “widowhood rights.”