From Eric’s Diary: …And Daddy Lumba spoke for himself

You know what they say, that if you want to tell God something, say it into the air?

Well, I asked who will speak for Daddy Lumba and something strange happened.

I published the article on Monday, 15^th December, 2025. In the morning of Wednesday, 17^th December, 2025, as my normal routine, I switched on my phone, looked out for fresh WhatsApp messages, responded to those that required responses and opened the Facebook app.

And there… My classmate at GIJ and Facebook friend- Peggy Ama Nhyira Donkor had posted what I considered a balanced article on the Daddy Lumba-Akosua Serwah-Odo Broni episode.

That’s because after reading that piece, I did not get the palpitation that Rosemary and Maame Adjoa’s evoked.

I don’t know the author- Kofi Kyei. And I don’t know how he knew so much about the Fosuhs. However, from all that I have heard, read and seen about this matter, his account seems plausible.

Here is what Kofi Kyei wrote in respect of what he believes caused the sore relationship between Lumba and Akosua Serwah…

Akosua Serwaa

“The woman who stood by you from the beginning, who contributed to your career right from the onset, the one you saw fit to marry after years together, won’t wake up overnight to become the woman who stays away from you at your greatest time of need.

There’s more to this issue we may never know. What we do know is that Akosua Serwaa was never a monster, and Lumba owes his success largely to her.

This is the issue many refuse to accept: no woman married under monogamy would gladly share her position with another woman. We have no idea how many times she complained to Lumba about his relationship with Odo Broni or the extent to which it affected her.

Put yourself in her shoes. You married a man. You all started from nothing. Suddenly, there is a woman in the picture, a trophy woman whom your husband flaunts in public. You view her as a home breaker, a major cause of your misery.

Suddenly, everyone expects you to act cool, accept her as your co-wife, and live happily ever after. It’s silly to expect a seamless switch like that. Akosua Serwaa did what a legal wife would do under the same circumstances, unless she was talked out of it.

It’s not easy to accept the woman to whom you lost the love of your life, more so one over 30 years younger.

I don’t believe the excuse that Akosua Serwaa could not come to Ghana was due to the kids and mortgage obligations. So, she couldn’t travel down once every year to attend to Lumba along with the kids? Like Lumba couldn’t afford plane tickets for four every year or two?

It’s not true. There’s more to it. Something went wrong with the marriage at a point. In spite of all these, she never made it public to shame the man. She kept his dignity until his death. All she wants is her own dignity as a duly married wife in a monogamous marriage. She’s not evil.

This is what brings me to the man whose failure led to this circus.”

Daddy Lumba

“It’s obvious that people can say wise stuff all the time and act foolishly more often. The experiment of philosopher Socrates was to test how wise people were relative to the things they said, and he realised that some of the most foolish were the acclaimed wise ones.

Same applies to Lumba. The man sang about family, love, and how he didn’t want a situation where, after his death, the story would be terrible, yet he had several opportunities to make things right and failed to do so.

He had an opportunity to end his marriage with Akosua Serwaa but failed to do so and even denied the woman a request for freedom when she asked to be divorced.

For a musician, Lumba remains Ghana’s finest. As a person, he was not the best example. He escaped blame while alive, but his death brought everything to light.

Indeed, we never thought him to be an angel at any point in his career. Him being a womaniser shouldn’t surprise anyone. In any case, I’m even surprised the women aren’t more, so I’m not judging him on quantity. My issue is, for someone like Lumba with a plethora of women at his beck and call, including mature, rich women, what did he see in a 17-year-old girl?

However, for 17 years, no one can tell me Lumba was sick, bedridden, and poo-pooing on himself. Lumba was so broke 17 years ago that on his sickbed the best source of care was a 17-year-old girl with zero experience in caregiving?

Cut us some slack. A lot of lies have been told, lies about his dependence on his first wife as though there was no point in his career when he was financially stable. It’s a lie. Lumba, since at least 1990, has been one of Ghana’s finest musicians.

That should count for something. That should not diminish the role Akosua Serwaa played; however, in touting the woman’s contribution, we shouldn’t make it look like he was a consistently poor guy feeding off her.”

Daddy Lumba’s own account

After reading Kofi’s piece, I got up from bed, did my usual stretch exercises and put on my sneakers for my morning walk.

Suddenly, the sound of one of Daddy Lumba’s songs broke into my thoughts. The sound emerged from the window of a room in a house that I was passing by as I walked.

Then a voice whispered, “stop and pay attention to the lyrics.” I obliged.

The title of the song is “ɛyɛ Odo Nti”- It’s for the sake of love. The song is available on YouTube. Just in case you don’t speak or understand Twi, I got someone to translate the lyrics which I found online. Here is the part where Lumba spoke for himself…

It’s for the sake of love

It’s for the sake of love, Kwadwo

Not that I’m desperate (Me ho mmɔɔ me ho so), young man……

…Mama Serwaa, it’s love that I have for you, Queen,

It’s for the sake of love, Mama ei, it’s for the sake of love

It’s love that I have for you, it’s love that I have for her

It’s not because I am not worthy

When you meet your loved one and you decide to love her, she calls herself ‘Adoma’ because she presumes that nobody loves you

An energetic young man like me?

My love, my documents have not expired, I am still in town.

If not for the sake of love, why would I abandon my family back home and invite you to be the ruler of my heart?

Love can really make people behave foolishly in this world, don’t push me around. Otherwise, I will leave and one day you will appreciate my value.

Love makes the mighty powerless before the weak.

You are mistreating a native of Sekyere, a pure royal like me, like a worthless thing (Atantandeɛ)

It’s for the sake of love.

Love Chief, is this my story? Is it me whose heart is being toyed with by someone like this?

Be comforted Daddy Lumba,

It’s ok, for the sake of love.

Daddy it’s for the sake of love, It’s for the sake of love, Kwadwo

Not that I’m desperate

It’s for the sake of love

Such is the world, when you meet someone you love, and decide to give your whole heart to him/her and spend on them, that person thinks you are desperate.

I’m not desperate, my sister, it’s for the sake of love.”

It’s time to go

Need I say more?

In my article referenced above, I asked a series of questions and made one categorical statement- “Look, marriage is such a beautiful thing. I have enjoyed it for the past 26 years and counting. It has not been without issues. But we resolve them and move on. Nonetheless, there is something called incompatibility. If that becomes a couple’s predicament, no matter who has helped who, the best way forward is to part ways- divorce.”

When I culled this statement and posted on my Facebook wall, I got a total of 25 reactions- 14 likes and 11 comments. The comments were made by persons I know. Some are still married, some have remarried and the rest are divorced but searching.

Here are a few- “The hard truth”, “Absolutely!”, “Simple kraaa”, “Yes indeed!”, “100% agree” and “Totally agree”.

Only one of the 11 comments disagreed with the statement. And that was my JHS classmate, Kaleb Jones-Quartey. He wrote, “When does incompatibility set in? Sacrifice what you are for what both could become, my understanding of marriage.”

I responded thus, “For better, for worse.” Yes. That’s what Kaleb is preaching. That’s biblical, I know, but very unrealistic.

Before replying to Kaleb, I consulted Google for the meaning of ‘incompatibility’. This is what popped up “inability of two people to live together harmoniously.”

Obviously, I made that firm statement when I had not read Kofi Kyei’s write up. I did so based on experience. And Kofi’s narration, largely, confirms my suspicion that the couple- Daddy Lumba (DL) and Akosua Serwaa (AS) became incompatible at a point.

This is my diagnosis- The couple could not live harmoniously because Serwaa, like many women, could not tolerate the purported promiscuous nature of DL, and he, in turn, could not stand being treated like a worthless person- “Atantandeɛ.”

Serwaa’s position is very understandable. And I know my wife supports her 100% in this regard. Similarly, Lumba’s refusal to be treated as worthless was reasonable. Most men will not allow that.

That is why my assertion holds true- “… there is something called incompatibility. If that becomes a couple’s predicament, no matter who has helped who, the best way forward is to part ways- divorce.”

So, it is no wonder that the once upon a time love birds had to separate. I guess “for the sake of love”, neither of them could follow through with the divorce proceedings. Hence, the drama that unfolded upon his demise.

Going back to my response to Kaleb- “For better for worse”, what I failed to add was “till death do us part.” Therefore, what DL and AS could not do for the sake of love, death has done in fulfilment of its role in marriage- permanent separation.

May God grant Daddy Lumba a peaceful rest.

P.S: I hear many netizens are berating the ex-wife of the former Deputy Minister of Finance, John Kumah for remarrying barely a year and a half after his demise. What for? Have they forgotten about …”till death do us part”?

Please, “Body nobi firewood.” Allow!!!

Merry Christmas to you all.