A large number of Ghanaians and foreigners will have the opportunity to pay their last respects to the late President from Wednesday as he is laid in state at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.

President John Dramani Mahama will be the first person to file past the casket, after which other dignitaries and the general public will have the opportunity to also file past the mortal remains of President Mills.

Accra, the national capital; Ekumfi Otuam, the hometown of Professor Mills, and Cape Coast, where some of his siblings live, will be the nerve centres of wailing, as Ghanaians pay their last respects to the man whose death has united the nation in grief.

The national capital is already draped in red and black colours, while flags still fly at half mast, and vehicular traffic begin to jam in many places as Accra screeches to a standstill for the funeral.

A number of roads in the metropolis would be blocked to traffic.

According to arrangements announced by the Funeral Planning Committee, the casket containing the body of President Mills would arrive at the Banquet Hall, State House at 8 a.m. Wednesday, to be handed over to the family to perform some customary rites.

The casket will then be open at 11 a.m for President John Mahama, Vice-President K. B. Amissah-Arthur, the wife, son and family of the late President, state officials, members of the Council of State and representatives of political parties to file past the body.

Other dignitaries to file past the body are former presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, the Speaker and leadership of Parliament, the Chief Justice and her delegation, Service Commanders and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Subsequently, the general public will have the chance to also view the body from 13hrs GMT to 19hrs GMT , after which a night vigil of musical and cultural display will be staged at the fore court of the State House in memory of the late President, ending at midnight to climax the first day of funeral activities.

On the second day, Thursday, August 9, 2012, the state funeral continues with the public viewing of the body from 6 a.m. at the Banquet Hall.

The evening of Thursday is dedicated to the reading of tributes and an all-night prayer service in memory of President Mills, while the cultural displays also continue.

On the final day of the funeral on Friday, August 10, 2012, the body of the late President will be ushered into the hands of God at a church service at the Independence Square where the visiting Heads of State and international dignitaries will be invited to file past the body.

Members of the general public are required to be seated in the stands at the Independence Square by 7:30 a.m after which they would be closed, while invited guests are required to take their seats by 9 a.m. or remain outside the venue.

After the funeral service, the casket containing the mortal remains of the late President will be driven through some principal streets of Accra.

The late president will subsequently be interred at the Peace Park, a piece of land lying in the angle of the Castle Drive and the Marine Drive, near the Castle, Osu.

Visiting heads of state

Sixteen Heads of State and Government will be attending the funeral of President John Evans Atta Mills on August 10.

The US Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton and four Special envoys from the US as well as the President of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma would also be attending.

A representative from the Vatican is scheduled to attend including a delegation from the Pan African Parliament.

The leaders are President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin and Chairman of AU; Alassane Outtara, Cote d’Ivoire and chairman of the ECOWAS; Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea; Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso.

Others are President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia; President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo; Jakaya kikwete of Tanzania; Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia; Dr Goodluck Johnathan of Nigeria; Mahamadou Issoufou of NIger.

The rest are Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa; Yahya J. Jameh of the Gambia and Macky Sall of Senegal.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi, said they are still “receiving notification from other countries.”