Day 2 Of Kofi Annan's State Funeral....

Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Judiciary, Members of Parliament, former ministers of state, members of the Council of State, members of the Mfantsipim Old Boys Association, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s delegation, the Akwamuhene and his delegation and various categories of identifiable groups....

....will file past the mortal remains of former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, says Government Spokespersons, as the three-day state funeral for the global icon enters day two today, Wednesday.

Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, told the media that since Ghanaians from all walks of life had the opportunity to file past the body on Tuesday, the exercise today will see some dignitaries taking their turn to pay their last respects to the late Kofi Annan.

The general public, heads of department, associations and others filed past his body on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.

But the scores of Ghanaians who thronged the Accra International Conference Center where the body has been since Monday evening insist the failing past was unnecessary with the casket closed and draped with the Ghana flag.

They argued that in the Ghanaian tradition, filing past is for bodies properly laid in state and not one in a coffin as in the instant case.

Charade? Body Not In Casket?

They indicated that the closed casket is not in tune with the Ghanaian way of mourning the dead arguing that there were no arrangements for the public to see the corpse as in the case of late president J.E.A. Mils, Former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur and Dancehall Artiste Ebony Reigns.

Some have even suggested that the casket – draped in national colours – is just a charade and that the body is not in state as the public has been made to believe.

Family Following Wishes Of Kofi Annan

But a cousin of the late Kofi Annan says the family is only respecting the wishes of their deceased relative.

Isaac Ahuma claims the former UN Secretary General personally requested that his casket is covered from public view during file past, before he died.

It was his own decision, we have to respect his wish, that is his wish, that is what the man wanted, we have to give respect for what he stands for. It does not take anything away from the ceremony, for as long as what he wanted the family is doing that, I think we are happy with it,” he explained.

The seventh (7th) Secretary-General of the United Nations passed away at Switzerland and the body transported to Ghana on Monday, September 10, 2018 for his funeral and burial service to be held in his home country.

There will be a private burial at midday on Thursday at the Military Cemetery with full military honours and a 17-gun salute.

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected in Ghana Thursday, September 13, to attend the final funeral service

He will be in the company of a host of other African heads of state including Alassane Dramane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, George Weah of Liberia, Hage Geingob of Namibia, Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger among others.