Concerns have emerged within Ga traditional leadership following reports that Ghanaian highlife musician Daddy Lumba was laid to rest at his private residence in East Legon, a move authorities say contradicts both national regulations and Ga customary practices.
Speaking in a video captured by Zionfelix.net, Reverend Dr Jesse Ankrah, who speaks for the office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse, addressed the matter and explained that Ga-Adangbe tradition does not permit the burial of the dead within residential properties.
Rev Ankrah explained that established custom among the Ga-Dangme people requires the deceased to be buried only in recognised cemeteries or approved traditional burial grounds. He said placing a body within a private home contradicts long-standing cultural practices unless specific rituals are performed to purify the land and appease the spiritual forces believed to guard it.
He explained that bringing a corpse close to sacred shrines or deities is regarded as spiritually impure, and both tradition and the spiritual forces associated with the land forbid such an act. He added that if a burial were to occur under those circumstances, the land would have to undergo traditional pacification rites, the deities would need to be appeased and the traditional authorities who oversee the territory where the burial took place would have to be formally consulted.
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Apart from the cultural concerns, Rev Ankrah also highlighted possible environmental and public health implications tied to burying bodies within residential areas.
He explained that, from an environmental standpoint, such a practice could violate both state laws and community regulations. As a body decomposes, fluids released during the process can seep into the soil and potentially contaminate underground water sources. He noted that residents who depend on boreholes for household water could unknowingly face health risks if such contamination occurs. He further indicated that if the deceased had suffered from any infectious illness before burial, the situation could pose broader dangers to people living in the surrounding community.
The issue gained public attention after remarks attributed to the late musician’s family head, Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, suggested that the celebrated singer had been buried at his East Legon home.
Following those claims, the office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse invited him to appear before the traditional leadership to clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged burial.
Rev Ankrah explained that attempts were made to reach Abusuapanin Victor Owusu, popularly known as Tupac, to express the concerns of the traditional authorities and to emphasise that such an action would not be acceptable under Ga customs. He said the family head had been expected to honour the invitation earlier that morning but had not shown up after the leaders waited for some time. He also indicated that reports circulating suggest that Victor Owusu may have been removed from his position as the family’s Abusuapanin.
