Ghanaian journalist Stephen Adjetey Abban, popularly known as Gabs, has weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding Akosua Serwaa, the woman contesting her status as the surviving wife of the late Highlife musician Daddy Lumba.
In a Facebook post, he argued that Serwaa is being unfairly judged despite enduring years of hardship.
Gabs stated that “many people are deliberately ignoring the basic facts at the centre of this entire brouhaha,” stressing that Serwaa left her marriage due to domestic abuse and emotional trauma. According to him, “Serwaa was forced to flee a marriage marked by domestic abuse and emotional trauma, made even worse by Lumba’s infidelity.”
He noted that Serwaa’s decision to walk away to protect herself is now being held against her. “She chose to walk away to protect herself, yet this very act is now being used against her, with claims that she is ‘technically’ not Lumba’s wife simply because she returned the drinks to end the marriage,” he wrote.
Gabs questioned why her motive for seeking recognition as the only surviving wife is being doubted, saying her “pain and lived experiences suddenly do not matter.” He accused critics of hypocrisy, pointing out that “those who are quick to dismiss her argument as mere ‘sentiment’ are the same people who lean on sentiment when defending Odo Broni under similar circumstances. The double standards are loud.”
He further argued that Serwaa is not an opportunist seeking to benefit from the musician’s estate. “Serwaa did not emerge from nowhere to engage in this dispute,” he said. “She is not suddenly seeking recognition as Lumba’s sole wife or attempting to position herself for inheritance.”
According to Gabs, Serwaa contributed significantly to Daddy Lumba’s life and career, including helping establish his first studio in Germany. He insisted that she “deserves respect” and that the focus should be on the mistreatment she reportedly endured.
“If anything at all, the mistreatment she endured, which ultimately forced her to sever ties with Lumba, should be the focal point of public sympathy, not the condemnation she is currently receiving,” he added.
