Friday, August 10, 2012

Atta Mills’ Burial Happening Now: (Live Updates)

http://www.abadawoode.com reports...







Tears are flowing like water on the faces of many Ghanaians across all the 10 regions of the country as former President John Evans Atta Mills is buried today.
The state funeral is currently underway at the Independence Square in Accra with tens of thousands of Ghanaians in attendance.
The  burial ceremony will be marked distinctive military traditions  as the former President was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
After the religious ceremonies that would be tinged with poignant evocation of hymns and the performance of the final funeral rites by the family of the late leader at the Independence Square, the Military would take over the casket, escorting the body of the one-time Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to his final resting place at the Geese Park on the Castle Drive.
Before the body of the late President Mills is interred, the casket containing his remains would be placed on a gun-carriage by eight pall-bearers of Brigadier General rank and taken on a State drive on a selected route lined with personnel of other security services.
The cortege would be escorted by a Ghana Airforce helicopter.
When the cortege finally gets back to the Independence Square after the State drive, military personnel in full ceremonial garb, will line both sides of the Castle Drive, with reversed arms to give the departed leader his last honours.
At the Geese Park, the pall-bearers will lower the casket from the gun-carriage and place it on the grave, where military buglers will sound the “last post” amidst the booms of a 21 gun salute by a detachment of personnel of the 66 Artillery Regiment of the GAF.
Simultaneously, there would be a fly-past by three Ghana Air Force jets ejecting long lines of smoke in the national colours, with Ghana Navy ships also performing ceremonial maneuvers on the shoreline behind the Independence Square.
After final prayers, the body of the late President Mills would be lowered into the grave to start his journey into the world beyond.
The late President Mills, 68, who died at the 37 Military Hospital on July 24, is survived by a wife, Ernestina Naadu Mills, and a son, Samuel ‘Fiifi’ Atta Mills.
The late Atta Mills is the first ever Ghanaian President to die in office.
The US Secetary of States, Madam Hilary Clinton and about 15 Heads of State are currently in the country to pay him their final respect.
*www.samuelobour.com with additional files from GNA



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