A coalition calling itself Team Legal Wives and Husbands on Tuesday publicly backed an appeal filed on behalf of Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, the legally married wife of the late highlife legend Charles Kojo Fosuh, widely known as Daddy Lumba, sharply criticizing a recent High Court ruling and warning against what it described as unlawful handling of the musician’s estate.
The press conference, held in Accra on Tuesday, Feb. 3, brought together lawyers and civil society advocates who say the case goes far beyond a private family dispute and raises troubling questions about justice, due process and the protection of spousal rights in Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of the group, representatives said they “strongly disagree” with the position and judgment of the High Court and have therefore supported Fosuh in filing an appeal. They stressed that, as law-abiding citizens, they will refrain from further commentary on the substance of the case until the Court of Appeal delivers its decision.
“Our commitment is to the rule of law,” the group said. “We will wait for the outcome of the appeal before making any additional pronouncements.”
Team Legal Wives and Husbands, which describes itself as a coalition of ordinary Ghanaians united by principles of justice and accountability, used the occasion to outline what it called serious legal inconsistencies surrounding the late musician’s estate.
According to the group, there is no known will left by Daddy Lumba. In the absence of a will, they noted, Ghana’s intestate succession regime under PNDC Law 111 governs the distribution of the estate, and only after a court of competent jurisdiction has granted Letters of Administration.
“As far as we are aware, no Letters of Administration have been granted by any court,” the group said. “It therefore baffles our understanding that certain properties clearly known to belong to Mr. and Mrs. Fosuh are being purportedly transferred or gifted to individuals believed to be family members.”
They cautioned that, under Ghanaian law, no property forming part of an intestate estate can be legally transferred, sold or gifted until Letters of Administration are properly issued.
The coalition appealed to the media to report the case accurately, describing journalists as a critical safeguard against misinformation and manipulation. It also addressed Ghanaians at home and abroad, framing the case as a broader test of the country’s justice system.
“This is a litmus test for the soul of our nation’s justice system,” the group said, arguing that the treatment of Fosuh reflects how procedural failures and apparent bias can undermine the rights and dignity of a lawful wife.
Special appeals were made to traditional authorities, particularly in the Ashanti Kingdom, to use their moral influence to promote fairness, as well as to Ghanaians in the diaspora, many of whom invest heavily in property and family assets back home.
“If a lawful marriage can be dismissed and property seized without due process,” the group warned, “then the security of diaspora investments is at risk.”
The coalition also called on international observers and human rights organizations to monitor the case, describing it as a potential example of the deprivation of women’s rights to property, inheritance and fair judicial process.
For now, Team Legal Wives and Husbands says it will await the appellate court’s decision, insisting that justice — not influence or expediency — must prevail.
By Kingsley Asiedu
