“There will be no burial on July 30” - Head of Kantanka family announces

The Head of the Kantanka Family and Leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana, Nana Kwadwo Akofena Safo Kantanka Jnr, has announced that the scheduled burial of the late Apostle Professor Emeritus Kwadwo Safo on Thursday, July 30, 2026, will no longer take place due to unresolved family disputes over the funeral arrangements.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, Nana Kwadwo Akofena Safo Kantanka said the decision had become inevitable after numerous attempts to unite the family and implement the wishes of the late renowned industrialist and founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission failed to yield consensus.

"There will be no burial on July 30," he declared, explaining that the ongoing disagreements surrounding the custody of the late Apostle's mortal remains and the implementation of his final will had made it impossible to proceed with the funeral as planned.

According to him, he convened the press conference in his dual capacity as Head of the Kantanka Family and Leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission to provide clarity amid growing public speculation and misinformation surrounding the burial arrangements.

He acknowledged that the briefing had been called at short notice but stressed that recent developments required him to address the nation without delay.

Nana Kwadwo Safo Kantanka revealed that following the death of his father, he, together with members of the Aduana Kotoko Royal Family, undertook several efforts to foster unity among family members to ensure a peaceful and befitting burial.

He disclosed that he personally initiated reconciliation efforts involving his siblings, including his elder sister, former Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo, and sought the intervention of church elders, family heads, chiefs, queen mothers and other respected traditional leaders.

Despite those interventions, he said the family had failed to achieve the consensus needed to honour the late Apostle's final journey in the manner envisioned.

He further alleged that although the late Apostle's will was read by Sarah Adwoa Safo, the directives contained in the document had not been implemented as intended.

According to him, the Kantanka Family was not granted custody of the mortal remains of the late Apostle Professor Emeritus Kwadwo Safo despite what he described as provisions contained in the will, a development he said had further complicated efforts to organize the burial.

Nana Kwadwo Safo Kantanka announced that he had instructed his solicitors, Kwame Gyan and Associates, led by Professor Kwame Jantu, to commence legal proceedings to seek the intervention of the courts to ensure that the wishes expressed in his father's last will and testament are fully enforced.

He emphasized that resorting to the courts was a decision taken only after every reasonable avenue for an amicable settlement had been exhausted.

The Kristo Asafo leader appealed to members of the church, the Kantanka Family, sympathizers and the general public to remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking unilateral actions or circulating unverified information that could undermine the judicial process or deepen divisions within the family.

Expressing confidence in Ghana's justice system, Nana Kwadwo Safo Kantanka said he believes the courts will ensure that justice is served and that the expressed wishes of the late Apostle Professor Emeritus Kwadwo Safo are respected.

He urged all stakeholders not to allow the current dispute to overshadow the extraordinary legacy of a man he described as a visionary whose life was dedicated to faith, innovation, industrialization, national development and service to humanity.

He concluded by assuring members of the Kristo Asafo Mission, the Kantanka Family and the Ghanaian public that every lawful effort would continue to be made to ensure that the late Apostle Professor Emeritus Kwadwo Safo is eventually accorded a befitting burial in accordance with his wishes, family customs and the laws of Ghana.

Nana Kwadwo Safo Kantanka also thanked Ghanaians, friends of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the media for their patience and support, while calling for prayers for a peaceful, lawful and honourable resolution to the impasse.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith