Daddy Lumba’s best friend, Dwabeng Fosu, has opened up about the late musician’s health battle, which gradually led to his death.

According to Dwabeng Fosu, the renowned Ghanaian highlife musician with over 30 albums under his belt, sustained a spinal injury in his prime but ignored it until it was a little too late.

He noted that the ‘Ankwanoma’ hitmaker opted for surgery to correct the spinal injury; however, the musician’s health never returned to normalcy.

For 15 years, Daddy Lumba was sick and had to rely on medicines to sustain his health, per Dwabeng Fosu’s account.

Mr Fosu credited Daddy Lumba’s first wife, Akosua Serwaa, for helping Daddy Lumba immensely during his health battle.

“He had an accident, but didn’t pay enough attention to the injury. He was young by then and was in his prime. Eventually, the effects caught up with him. He was operated upon and had his spine replaced with metal. The operation costs $40k.
“All the medications he had to take were administered by his wife, Akosua Serwaa. If not for her, Daddy Lumba would have died a long time ago. He could not even put on a shoe. The doctor had predicted that he was going to die soon. That’s why he composed his song, ‘Makra Mo’.”
Dwabeng Fosu

He had been friends with Daddy Lumba since their high school days at Juben Senior High School in the 1980s and knew him well. Their closeness influenced Lumba to honour him in some of his hit songs, including ‘Yentie Obiaa’.

Mr. Akonor Shares Daddy Lumba’s Unfulfilled Dream

Ghana’s music legend, Daddy Lumba, may have achieved monumental success in his career, but his closest confidant, Ernest Toah Akonor (E.T. Akonor Jnr), revealed a poignant truth—the Highlife maestro harboured a dream he never got to fulfil: becoming a Pan-Africanist.

Beyond the chart-topping hits and sold-out concerts, Lumba envisioned using his influence to champion African unity and cultural exchange across the continent.

Mr. Akonor—Lumba’s best friend, whom he met 32 years ago, shared intimate details about the icon’s aspirations.

Mr Akonor, also known as E.T., noted that even though he could authoritatively say Lumba was fulfilled as a musician, the latter looked forward to being a Pan-African advocate to promote African unity.

“He was fulfilled as a musician. He achieved everything he set out to do. He battled with health issues and prayed he celebrated his 60th birthday, which he did last year. But one thing he couldn’t accomplish was his desire to promote African unity as a Pan-Africanist. After reaching the peak of his career, he felt the time was right to use his platform for something bigger. Sadly, life had other plans.”
Mr Akonor

ET, who speaks fondly of his departed friend, noted Lumba’s ability to embody both fame and popularity as a rare feat in the entertainment industry.

“His popularity is unmatched. It is very difficult to get someone who is famous and popular at the same time. Being famous or popular is not the same, but he embodied both, which made him not your regular artiste. He was a gem.”
Mr Akonor

The bond between Lumba and E.T. could be described as one of destiny. Their first meeting was in 1993 at a Kaneshie mechanic shop, where they bonded over Lumba’s then-hit Biribi Gyegye Wo. “We played the song, laughed at the lyrics, and connected instantly,” E.T. reminisced.

But life pulled them apart—until fate intervened again. They reconnected during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, then again at Legends Night in 2011. However, it was a 2015 reunion, sparked by a simple phone call and a visit, that cemented their unbreakable bond.

“Lumba was an introvert, so when he followed me home after my first visit, he jokingly asked if I had charmed him since that was something he hardly did. It was after that that we built a strong bond, and he would later publicly call me his best friend, which no one ever contested.”
Mr Akonor

Akonor painted a portrait of Lumba as a very intelligent, wise person and meticulous artist who consulted many, including musician Adomako Nyamekye, to perfect his lyrics. “He wasn’t just a singer; he was a thinker. Every word in his songs carried weight,” Akonor said.

“Despite his health challenges, Lumba remained dedicated to his craft, always writing songs and pushing the boundaries of his creativity. Even as his body weakened, his mind remained sharp, constantly crafting lyrics and refining his art. He wrote Yentie Obia in a wheelchair—that’s how dedicated he was.”
Mr Akonor

In the defence of his cherished friend, Mr Akonor slammed individuals spreading false information to tarnish Lumba’s reputation.

“I can tell you on authority that Daddy Lumba didn’t know about the events that people claimed they paid him to perform at. Even on the day he died, that is July 26, an event organiser was promoting him as a headline artiste for a show in the US, but we didn’t know anything about it.”
Mr Akonor

He prayed Lumba’s music would be institutionalised so that future generations would appreciate his gift. “People listen to Bob Marley’s songs that were written 50 years ago. That’s the kind of memory I want for my brother, that 59 years down the line, people will still appreciate his music,” he stated.