The Funeral Planning Committee of President John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday extended the period allowed for the general public to pay their last respects to late President to 2100 hours.

"The general public now has up to 9 p.m., to file past the body," a statement issued by Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information in Accra, copied to the Ghana News Agency said.

It explained that this had become necessary due to the long queues, which continued to persist outside the precincts of the State House.

The original time for the end of the public viewing was 1900 hours.

The statement announced that so far about 65 delegations, including Heads of State and Governments, international organisations had confirmed their participation in the burial service at the Independence Square on Friday, August 10.

It identified convergence points, from which distinguished groups would be shuttled to the Independence Square from 0800 on Friday, August 10 as follows:

The judiciary from the Supreme Court, ministers of state from the Castle Annex; members of parliament from parliament house and the Council of State from their office.

Chiefs and queen-mothers to converge on the VAG Club House; Chief Executives of State Organisations and Chief Directors of Ministries, the El-Wak Sports Stadium.

The statement expressed gratitude to all Ghanaians for the continuous show of collective love and respect, "As we befittingly see off the late President Mills".