The Ghanian authorities have postponed the date of funeral rites of the former President Jerry John Rawlings, Andalou Agency reported.
The former president Rawlings died at the age of 73 on November 12 after he spent nearly a week at a hospital in the capital city, Accra. The Ghanian leader fell sick after the burial of his mother last month.
Initially, his funeral was scheduled for December 23 but due to the pandemic in the African country, the ritual event has been postponed.
The postponement of the burial date of the former leader comes after the Office of the Presidency on December 15 requested that the family of the late JJ Rawlings select a suitable date for his burial and surrounding details.
As the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, said, the postponement is to help government plan a befitting ceremony for the late politician. On Wednesday, the office of the former President Rawlings has issued the official release.
“The office of the former President Jerry John Rawlings informs the general public that his funeral will no longer take place on Wednesday, December 23, 2020,” the statement said.
The officials added that the new date of the funeral ceremony will be communicated to the public in due course.
Like many other African leaders of the 20th century, Jerry John Rawlings led a military junta from 1981 to 1992 after coming to power through a coup. In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military and established the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
However, Rawlings was democratically elected in the same year and then in 1996 for a second term.
