Otumfuo approved the date for my father’s funeral — Adwoa Safo
Former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has rejected suggestions that she unilaterally determined the funeral date for her late father, Apostle Professor Emeritus Kwadwo Safo, insisting that the date was approved by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
She explained that the burial arrangements were undertaken in close consultation with the Manhyia Palace because of her father's royal lineage in the Ashanti Kingdom.
Her remarks follow claims by her brother, Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena I, Head of the Safo Family and leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana, that unresolved disagreements within the family had made it impossible to confirm a burial date.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, July 28, Adwoa Safo said preparations for the funeral began in October 2025 after the family observed the 40-day funeral rites for the late industrialist and founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
She noted that, given her father's royal heritage, the family could not proceed with the funeral arrangements without first seeking the guidance and approval of the Asantehene.
“My father is from a royal background from the Ashanti Region, and so for a royal of his calibre, we couldn't have done anything without consulting the King of the Ashanti Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,” she said.
According to her, the family held several engagements with the Manhyia Palace before the Asantehene eventually approved the burial date.
“We went back and forth from the palace trying to seek clearance, getting direction and advice on how to proceed. Finally, the King agreed that we had put a number of things in place and approved a date for us,” she stated.
Adwoa Safo maintained that the date being disputed was not one she personally selected but one sanctioned by the Manhyia Palace.
“I want to state again, and to the hearing of those who have pretended they did not hear, that that date is not my date. That date is from the palace,” she said.
She further argued that anyone dissatisfied with the scheduled date should address their concerns to the authority that approved it.
“So, if you seek to change it, go and challenge that authority in the Ashanti Kingdom that you don't want your father to be buried that date,” she added.