Accra: Ghana spent a total of 3.6 million Ghana cedis ($1.8 million) on the funeral of former president John Evans Atta Mills, who died late July and was buried earlier this month, a member of the national funeral committee said here.
Committee spokesman Kofi Totobi Quakyi Monday said that out of the total amount, donations from corporate institutions and individuals totaled 2.2 million cedis (about $1.1 million), with government taking care of the other 1.4 million cedis (about $700,000).
File pic of Mills and Obama. AP
According to him, donations as low as 200 cedis (about 100 dollars) were made to the funeral planning committee, reported Xinhua.
“We bought the casket at the cost of 4,660 cedis ($2,330) against the earlier speculated figure of $70,000,” Quakyi told a press conference to wind down activities of the funeral committee.
The spokesman announced that the accounts would be subjected to audit by the Auditor General as required by the country’s financial regulations.
The spokesman reiterated that there was no budget set aside for the funeral since the 2012 budget did not anticipate such a calamity when it was being drawn.
Mills died suddenly on 24 July and was buried earlier this month after a three-day state funeral.
IANS
