Adwoa Safo accepts Israel Kwadwo Safo as leader of Kantanka family, Kristo Asafo Church

Former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo has publicly acknowledged and accepted her brother, Israel Kwadwo Safo, as the leader of the Kantanka family and the Kristo Asafo Church, in what marks a significant development in the family’s prolonged succession dispute.

In a statement, Ms Adwoa Safo said she had chosen reconciliation and was prepared to work with her brother in the interest of the family and the Church and to preserve the legacy of their late father, Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo.

“The time has come for us, as a family, to transcend whatever differences, misunderstandings or grievances that may have characterised the immediate aftermath of the demise of our dear dad and consign them to history,” she said.

She said her decision was founded on love, mutual respect and the enduring bonds of family.

“I have immense love and respect for my brother, Israel Kwadwo Safo, and in the spirit of honouring our father’s wishes, I publicly acknowledge and accept him as the Leader of the Kantanka Family and the Kristo Asafo Church,” she said.

Ms Adwoa Safo added that her brother had her full support and that she was willing to work with him to advance their father’s vision and legacy.

“He has my full support, and I state unequivocally, that, I am prepared and willing to work together with him in the interest of the family and the Church, in furtherance of our father’s Vision and Legacy,” she said.

Her statement comes months after a public dispute over succession and leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the wider Kantanka family following the death of Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo in September 2025.

In June 2026, the family, through a statement signed by Ms Adwoa Safo, rejected claims that Israel Kwadwo Safo, popularly known as Akofena, had assumed leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission.

The family said the late Apostle had initially designated Israel as his successor in 2017 but subsequently revoked that mandate in 2024 and appointed Ms Adwoa Safo as Head of the Kwadwo Safo Family. It further said amendments had been made to the Church’s governing framework that removed provisions conferring leadership authority on Israel.

Ms Adwoa Safo subsequently maintained that the dispute was not about inheritance or a personal ambition to lead the Church but about implementing what she described as her father’s final directives. She said Apostle Kwadwo Safo had left a valid will and that she considered it her responsibility as his first child to uphold his wishes.

The dispute also became entangled in disagreements over the funeral and burial arrangements for the late Apostle.

In July, Israel Kwadwo Safo said he had made several attempts to reconcile with his sister, including seeking the intervention of former presidents, chiefs, church elders and traditional leaders. He later said those efforts had not produced the desired reconciliation.

He also initiated legal action over the burial arrangements, saying attempts to reach consensus within the family had failed. He alleged that provisions of their father’s will concerning the custody of his remains had not been fully implemented.

An Accra High Court subsequently granted a 10-day interim injunction restraining Ms Adwoa Safo from proceeding with funeral and burial arrangements for the late Apostle. The application was brought by the Kristo Asafo Mission amid the wider dispute over authority to oversee the funeral and implement the late founder’s wishes.

The leadership dispute also followed a June 2026 incident involving a shooting at Israel Kwadwo Safo’s residence in Kwabenya, during which Ms Adwoa Safo was reportedly present. The circumstances surrounding the incident became part of the wider public dispute, with competing accounts emerging from the parties involved.

She stressed that their father’s legacy should not be identified with one person but should be regarded as a collective responsibility of his children.

“Our father’s legacy transcends any one individual. It is a collective inheritance and a profound responsibility entrusted to us, as his children,” she said.

She urged the family to rise above their differences, preserve what Apostle Kwadwo Safo built and ensure that his ideals continue to inspire future generations.

Ms Adwoa Safo also called on members of the Kristo Asafo Church, the wider Kantanka family and people associated with their father’s work to acknowledge and respect the unity of the family.

“Let us embrace this new chapter with reconciliation, fraternity and a shared sense of purpose,” she said.

Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo was the founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the Kantanka brand and was known for his religious work, industrial and technological initiatives and advocacy for local manufacturing.

Ms Adwoa Safo concluded by extending her goodwill and best wishes to Israel Kwadwo Safo and her other siblings, expressing hope that the new chapter would bring “healing, unity and renewed strength” as the family works together to honour and advance their father’s legacy.