The Manhyia Palace has imposed a fine of two sheep on Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, the family head of the late highlife icon Daddy Lumba (Charles Kojo Fosu), after the musician’s sister, Ernestina Akosua Bimpomaa, invoked the sacred Great Oath (Ntam Kɛseɛ) during a family dispute.
The invocation took place on October 28, 2025, immediately following a civil court hearing where Akosua Serwaa, Daddy Lumba’s first wife, is challenging the validity of his marriage. Under Asante customary law, invoking the Great Oath halts all civil proceedings and shifts jurisdiction exclusively to the Asantehene’s traditional court.
During a customary hearing presided over by the Saamanhene and other chiefs on November 7, 2025, Owusu was found at fault for not countering or neutralizing the oath invocation promptly. The fine serves as atonement for the lapse.
The sheep will be sacrificed in purification rituals at the Palace to lift the oath and avert any spiritual repercussions. Despite the traditional ruling, the underlying civil case is scheduled to continue in court on November 12, 2025.
