The battle over the burial of the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo has landed exactly where everyone feared it would, in the courtroom, and with less than 24 hours to spare.
Lawyer Kofi Safo Kantanka, speaking in a video statement to the media, has disclosed that a court has issued a 10 day interim injunction restraining former Dome Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo from making any funeral arrangements for the late Apostle Emeritus Dr Kwadwo Safo Kantanka until the ongoing legal dispute over his will is resolved.
If the order stands as disclosed, it means that regardless of the elaborate plans already made, any attempt to proceed with the burial at Gomoa Mpota tomorrow, July 30, or the funeral service at Independence Square on July 31, would risk placing Adwoa Safo in contempt of court.
The injunction follows the announcement by Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, Head of the Kantanka Family and Leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission, that his lawyers, Kwame Gyan and Associates led by Professor Kwame Gyan, had been instructed to begin legal proceedings to ensure his father’s final wishes are carried out.
How It Got Here
At the heart of the dispute is the question of who has the right to bury the great inventor. Akofena’s side maintains that the late Apostle’s will names him as the one responsible for his father’s mortal remains and the leadership of all funeral arrangements. His camp has also accused Adwoa Safo of keeping their father’s remains under lock and key, with family members, including Akofena himself, saying they have been unable to even see the body since his passing.
Adwoa Safo tells a different story entirely. She maintains that she was with her father in his final moments and that he personally entrusted her with his last wishes. As recently as Tuesday, speaking on Angel TV, she stated categorically that the burial would proceed, declaring that on the 30th the family would go to Gomoa to bury her father, followed by the funeral service at Independence Square on the 31st and a thanksgiving service in Kumasi on August 8. In that same interview, she alleged that 48 bullets were fired at her vehicle in what she described as an assassination attempt.
It must be noted that the competing interpretations of the late Apostle’s will have not yet been determined by any court, and the injunction, as disclosed, is an interim measure holding matters in place until the substantive dispute is heard.
All Eyes On Tomorrow
The development now sets up the most dramatic 24 hours of this entire saga. Invitations for the funeral had already gone out to President Mahama, former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo Addo, the Speaker of Parliament and a long list of dignitaries, with Adwoa Safo insisting the arrangements carried the blessing of the Manhyia Palace.
Whether she complies with the court order or proceeds regardless, tomorrow will provide the answer, and given that Adwoa Safo is herself a lawyer and former Deputy Attorney General’s office hand, the whole country will be watching to see how she responds to the decision of a court.
Ghbase is monitoring the situation closely and will bring you every development as it unfolds.
