The recent Kumasi High Court ruling in the much-publicised case involving two alleged wives of the late music legend Daddy Lumba raised a legal, social, and diplomatic storm far beyond what anyone expected.
What should have remained a family settlement between a recognised spouse and an alleged partner has now spiralled into a national credibility crisis, one that demands immediate attention from the President of the Republic of Ghana.
According to circulating reports, the judge rejected the marriage certificate presented by the wife, Akosua Serwaa, reportedly issued by German authorities while seemingly accepting the position of the alleged mistress, Odo Broni, without equivalent documentary scrutiny.
Though the full facts remain in court records, the public narration alone has created a nationwide uproar.
Ghanaians in foreign countries, from Canada to the United States to Europe, are already living through rising document scepticism. Now, with a Ghanaian court casting doubt on the authenticity of a foreign-issued marriage certificate, the implications have become enormous.
To the everyday Ghanaian, one may argue that this matter does not concern the Presidency.
But the judge’s reported dismissal of a German-issued marriage certificate as “fake” has consequences bigger than the courtroom.
If a certificate issued in Germany and tendered through the Ghanaian legal process is rejected locally, what prevents foreign governments from using the same logic to reject certificates issued in Ghana?
Already, foreign immigration offices, universities, and embassies have heightened document verification procedures for Ghanaian applicants, leading to delays, denials, and revoked visas.
Some Ghanaian students in North America have had their study visas cancelled over questions surrounding academic documents. Some couples have had spousal sponsorships denied because marriage certificates issued in Ghana were labelled as “inauthentic.”
The fear now is simple but serious:
Will this ruling provide justification for foreign governments to refuse Ghana-issued marriage certificates, birth certificates, and other legal documents?
Every year, thousands of Ghanaians abroad sponsor their spouses for permanent residence or visa support. Many rely on marriage documentation issued in Ghana or recognised through Ghana’s courts to complete these applications.
If global immigration bodies begin questioning Ghana’s internal judicial acceptance of such certificates, many lives could be derailed:
- Spousal sponsorships could be rejected
- Green card and permanent residence applications may be cancelled
- Visa renewals could be denied
- Applicants could be accused of fraud
- Deportation proceedings may increase
This is not hypothetical. It is already happening.
Several Ghanaian students and immigrants in recent years have been denied entry or deported because their documents were deemed “fake” by embassies, sometimes without explanation.
This ruling threatens to worsen that trend dramatically.
President John Dramani Mahama, Vice-President Prof. Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Chief of Staff, the National House of Chiefs, the Judicial Council, and the clergy cannot treat this as a mere celebrity issue.
The matter has evolved into a national document-credibility crisis.
A swift intervention is needed for three reasons:
- To Protect the Legitimacy of Ghanaian Documents
If uncertainty spreads, foreign embassies may adopt blanket suspicion toward all Ghanaian-issued certificates. This will harm families, students, businesses, and international mobility.
- To Clarify Ghana’s Position on Foreign-Issued Documents
Does Ghana recognise marriage certificates issued abroad?
Under what conditions are they valid?
Who is authorised to authenticate them?
Without national clarity, Ghana risks diplomatic embarrassment.
- To Prevent the Politicisation of Inter-Family Disputes
One court ruling, based on one family dispute, should not destabilise the security of millions of documents issued across the country and abroad.
At the heart of this saga is also a deeply personal battle. As many observers have noted, Odo Broni may simply be fighting for widowhood rights and property access.
If a philanthropic group has already provided her and her children with a three-bedroom house, perhaps the family dispute could be resolved amicably.
But the real national danger lies elsewhere:
This ruling could indirectly question the validity of Ghana’s marriage system, or marriage abroad, and legal documentation processes.
Imagine if the children of Daddy Lumba petition the German government to return his body for burial abroad, arguing he was a German citizen at death.
How would Germany interpret a Ghanaian court declaring their marriage documentation fake?
The diplomatic consequences could be profound.
Mr. President, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and all national leaders of authority, your wise counsel is urgently needed.
This is not just about Daddy Lumba. It is about the integrity of Ghana’s legal documents and the future of Ghanaians navigating immigration systems worldwide.
The Lumba marriage ruling could reshape marriage laws for Ghanaians abroad.
This crisis demands immediate dialogue, national clarification, and coordinated action. For the sake of students, families, immigrants, and Ghana’s global image, clarity must replace confusion.
Because if this issue is left unresolved, the shockwaves will not stop at the courtroom door, they will travel all the way to immigration counters across the world.
From Stephen Armah Quaye
