Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, the family head of late highlife legend Daddy Lumba, has been ordered to return all monies collected for the musician’s funeral following a ruling by a panel of sub-chiefs under Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The decision, delivered on November 10, 2025, comes after weeks of tension between Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu and Daddy Lumba’s elder sister, Ernestina Fosuh (Akosua Brimpongmaa), over control of funeral arrangements.

The dispute intensified on October 28 when Ernestina Fosuh and Akosua Serwaa, the late musician’s first wife, filed for an injunction at the Kumasi High Court to delay the funeral until an autopsy could confirm the cause of death. The court, however, upheld that under Ghanaian custom, the family head retained final authority over funeral matters.

In protest, Ernestina Fosuh invoked Otumfuo’s Great Oath, calling for royal intervention. Responding to the appeal, the Asantehene appointed a mediation panel comprising the Sumankwahene, Dadiesoabahene, and Baffour Kantankrayie, his chief linguist, to investigate the dispute.

The panel ruled against Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, stripping him of his authority to organise the funeral and postponing the ceremony from December 6 to December 13, 2025.

According to blogger Clement Asamoah of Gossips24 TV, the chiefs further directed that Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu refund all funds collected and hand over all monies held in a CAL Bank account set up for the funeral.

Following Daddy Lumba’s passing on July 26, 2025, a one-week observance was held on August 31 at Black Star Square, where several prominent Ghanaians made generous contributions toward the funeral.

The ruling reinforces the Asantehene’s role as a custodian of tradition and justice, ensuring that the funeral of one of Ghana’s most beloved musicians proceeds in harmony and in accordance with customary law and family consensus.