The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party John Boadu has admitted he is a beneficiary of activities by the New Patriotic Party militia groups.

According to him, party militia has become a key part of the political architecture in the country largely because of the mistrust for the security.

He made the revelations at the Truth and Fact finding Emile Short Commission constituted to investigate riotous incidents surrounding the January 31 by elections in Ayawaso West Wougon.

He said the party militia are usually to protect the ballot and cited incidents in the Akwatia and Chereponi by elections in which the groups protected him.

He said but for the services of the young men he would have been lynched in Asutifi Asunafo in the Bono Ahafo region during another by election.

Narrating the incident, he said one Naaba who was a brother to Collins Dauda, then a minister charged on him with guns and cudgels. They had to take cover at a nearby police station.

“If I had not had the services of these young men on that day …it would have been catastrophic” he said.

Even though he admitted the militia groups are used by the party he was quick to add that those groups are not officially recognized by the party.

A member of the Delta Force militia

Rather, it is individuals within the party who fund the activities of the militia group, he told the commissioners.

He also gave the assurance that NPP will support any action to do away with the services of the militia men.

The Commission is attempting to unravel the circumstances surrounding the violence in the by-election and to understand the role of party militias in Ghana’s political architecture.

At least nine people sustained injuries, some seriously after violent incidents were recorded in the by-elections.

The Member of Parliament for Prampram Sam George was also assaulted after he charged on armed men said to be with the national security.

The men were accused of shooting into a crowd of unarmed residents following some misunderstanding at the residence of the NDC parliamentary candidate, Delali Kwasi Brempong.

According to the men, they had picked intelligence of illegal stockpiling of arms in the home of the NDC candidate which could be used to foment trouble during the by-election.

They also claimed the shooting was started by vigilante groups brought by the NDC and they returned fire.

The NDC candidate has disputed the claim. When he appeared before the Commission last week, he denied hiring men to protect him or the ballot.

He said the violence was instigated by the national security personnel.