Private legal practitioner, Prince Benson Mankotam
Private legal practitioner, Prince Benson Mankotam, has advised the public to approach marriage with intention and careful planning, saying that marriage can “make or unmake” a person.
Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, November 29, 2025, the Senior Associate at Edfields Attorneys said the recent legal dispute over the late highlife musician Daddy Lumba highlights the importance of arranging personal and legal affairs while alive.
Mankotam stressed that marriage is more than a contractual arrangement, noting that decisions taken within it can have long-term consequences for spouses and their families.
“What it means is that marriage can make you or make you. How it makes or unmakes you is in your hands,” he said. “You have to take a very, very deliberate step to do it.”
He further advised that individuals ensure all necessary matters, including legal documentation and personal arrangements, are addressed during their lifetime, as family members often determine one’s affairs after death.
Background
The remarks follow the High Court in Kumasi’s ruling on November 28, 2025 that both Akosua Serwaa Fosu and Priscilla Ofori Atta, popularly known as Odo Broni, are lawful wives of Daddy Lumba, legally known as Charles Kwadwo Fosu. The court dismissed Serwaa’s request to be recognised as the sole surviving spouse of the late musician.
Serwaa had claimed that a civil marriage allegedly contracted in Germany in 2004 superseded all other marital claims. However, the court noted she failed to submit an original or certified true copy of the marriage certificate, instead providing extracts whose authenticity was questioned. The defence argued that Serwaa’s customary marriage had been dissolved and that Odo Broni had contracted a valid customary marriage with Lumba, living with him for over 15 years.
The judgment permits both women to participate in widowhood rites and funeral and estate matters. Certified copies of the ruling are expected on December 1, 2025.
