700 expected to cover Mills’ funeral

About 700 media outlets have reportedly requested for accreditations to cover the final funeral rites of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, the ministry of information has said.

The media houses, officials said, include the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Aljazeera, Cable News Network (CNN), Reuters, AFP and other local press houses.

Mr. Fritz Baffour, the Minister of Information, addressing journalists in Accra on Tuesday, revealed that his outfit was prepared to assist organizations and individuals who were prepared to make the ceremony a success.

While advising the public to be law-abiding during the event, the minister disclosed that a makeshift police station would be put up— where offenders of the law shall be arrested and kept.

“Unruly behaviors will not be countenance, so we are going to put up a police station just around the funeral grounds and people who intend to foment trouble will be arrested and kept there. And such individuals will also be charge after the funeral so we should all comport ourselves,” the minister cautioned.

The minister said red and black clothes are the dress code for the ceremony, and therefore, urged the public to accordingly comply.

The final funeral rites of late President Mills is expected to take-off in Accra from Wednesday to Friday.

Dignitaries including the American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, former United Nations Secretary, Mr. Kofi Annane, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, former President Jerry Rawlings and a host of others are expected to attend the ceremony.

The sudden demise of President Mills occurred on July 24 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, after being taken ill.**