The death of Ghanaian highlife legend Daddy Lumba has sparked more than just global mourning; it has triggered a high-stakes legal and cultural confrontation. A bitter dispute over his funeral arrangements has pitted his legally recognized wife in Germany against his traditional extended family in Ghana.

This conflict paralyzes the burial plans and illuminates a deep schism between two legal systems. The German wife, Akosua Serwah Fosuh, holds the rights of a statutory marriage. In contrast, the family leader, Abusuapanyin Kofi Wusu, asserts the authority of ancient customary law, which grants the extended family control over burial rites. Complicating matters is the question of whether a later traditional marriage was legally valid or constitutes bigamy under German law.

The Ghanaian courts now face the monumental task of untangling this web. Their impending decision will not only determine how a national icon is laid to rest but will also set an irreversible precedent for the rights of the Ghanaian diaspora, whose lives often straddle the divide between global statutory norms and deep-rooted traditional practices.