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A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba is arguing, the �primary source� of their position on a controversial educational policy is not what they said in campaign speeches. �I don�t want to be drawn into press statements; I want to stick to my manifesto, my NDC manifesto. The manifesto was very clear�, he insisted on Joy FM�s Newsfile, 'NDC Forum For Setting The Records Straight' in a press conference October 24, 2012 organized by some deputy ministers in 2012 titled NDC's Quality Education Versus NPP's Azaa 419 Free SHS Education. They said the NDC aims to �pay maximum attention to the basic level education- the root of the educational tree- by making it completely free, compulsory and universal and subject to resource availability progressively make higher level education affordable�. And �unlike the New Patriotic Party (NPP), [the NDC] does not believe in putting the cart before the horse. The NDC understands that when the foundations are solid then an enduring educational superstructure can be built�. The NDC has been fending off a barrage of criticism from the opposition following an announcement nearly a fortnight ago by the president to implement a free senior high school policy. The NPP believe, their rival has stolen their policy and has done a U-turn on a policy the NDC campaigned against. Kweku Baako pointed out, the NDC is facing, �a deficit of credibility� after their u-turn. But Amaliba disagrees. �We have never kicked against it�, Amaliba insisted. �Indeed the problem is, people are not listening and people just want to listen to one side�, he said. He asked Ghanaians to �go and check page 17� of the party�s manifesto which said the NDC favoured a progressive introduction of free SHS as against NPP�s instant introduction. �If you introduce free SHS at a go, you are going to collapse the economy. We argued against a wholesale introduction of free SHS but a progressive introduction will not�, he went further. NPP MP for Asante Bekwai, Joe Osei Owusu rebutted, �the challenge is what people heard you say not what you wrote. What you go out to tell the people on the platform is what they will listen to�.