Ghana gov't has no budget for late President Mills' funeral - Official

The government of Ghana does not have a budget for the funeral of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, a senior official disclosed here on Tuesday.

Briefing the media about the stage of preparations for this week's grand state funeral, Chairman of the planning committee Kofi Totobi-Quakyi said the annual budget did not normally make provision for such things as funerals and so government was not funding the funeral.

Mills, 68, died suddenly on Tuesday, July 24, at the 37 Military Hospital shortly after being suddenly taken ill.

Totobi-Quakyi also discounted rumors making the rounds that the funeral was going to cost 30 million Ghana cedis, or 18.5 million U.S dollars while the casket cost 75,000 dollars.

On the cost of the casket, Totobi-Quakyi said: "I have done some research on the internet and I have not come across any casket that costs anything close to 75,000 dollars.

According to him, the funds being expended on the funeral so far were part of donations received from individuals and corporate institutions which knew what the late president stood for and were ready to help with his funeral.

The chairman added that if the need arose for further expenditure to warrant state funding, the whole nation would be informed.

Meanwhile, all is set for the grand funeral, as finishing touches are being put in place on the two main venues that will host the various stages of the funeral.

The State Banquet Hall, adjacent to Parliament House, which is expected to host the remains of the late president from Wednesday morning to early Friday for public viewing and filing past, has been decorated in red and black official funeral banners.

Bold images of the late president are seen posted all around the building with police sentries on guard to usher in would-be visitors to pay their last respects to the late Ghanaian leader.

The over 50,000-seat capacity Independence (Black Star) Square, swathed in funeral colors and the red, yellow and green national colors, is the main grounds where the nation will receive august sympathizers, including over 27 foreign heads of state, expected to attend the state funeral on Friday.

The body of the late 68-year-old president will be interred on Friday afternoon along the Castle-Drive close to the seat of government.