Ashis (R) says Yaw Sarpong (L) marriage was not officially dissolved before demise
A former manager of the late gospel musician Yaw Sarpong, Nana Poku Ashis, has clarified issues surrounding the marital status of the celebrated singer.
In an interview on Accra-based Peace FM, Ashis explained that while the musician was alive, he informed him that he had a wife and children.
Ashis acknowledged that there were marital challenges between the couple but noted that the situation was not as severe as it has been portrayed publicly.
“When Wofa (Yaw Sarpong) was alive, he told me that he was married and had children. He even showed me his wife at one point. But as we know, there are always issues between a man and a woman, and that is part of marriage. Wofa travelled a lot and spent most of his time in Accra, while the woman in question was based in Kumasi. Yes, there were issues, but not as serious as people are making them seem,” Ashis said.
His clarification follows earlier comments by Yaw Sarpong’s elder brother, who stated in a separate interview that he did not recognise that his younger brother had a wife before his passing, insisting that no woman would perform widowhood rites.
According to Ashis, it is possible that the late musician shared certain information with his elder brother that influenced his position, but that view does not reflect the general stance of the family.
“The person who spoke earlier was Yaw Sarpong’s elder brother. If his younger brother told him something before his passing, that could influence his view and make him conclude that Yaw Sarpong did not have a wife. But that is not how the rest of the family sees it,” he explained.
Ashis further emphasised that although there were marital challenges, Yaw Sarpong did not officially dissolve the marriage through traditional means.
He added that it is not the collective position of the family that they do not recognise the woman as Yaw Sarpong’s wife, noting that the final determination rests with the family head.
“From the questions I asked, I was told there were marital challenges, but Wofa did not officially divorce his wife. It is not the position of the entire family that they do not recognise that Yaw Sarpong had a wife before his passing. Let’s leave that to the family head to resolve,” Ashis added.
The legendary Ghanaian gospel musician and founder of the Asomafo Gospel Group, Yaw Sarpong, passed away on January 20, 2026, after battling a prolonged illness.
A one-week observance has been scheduled for February 19, 2026, during which funeral arrangements will be officially announced.
Watch the interview below:
AK/MA
