The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says government’s decision to implement free senior high school (SHS) education from the 2015/2016 academic year is part of the party’s 2012 manifesto, which brought President Mahama into power.

President Mahama in his state of the nation address in Parliament on Tuesday, revealed government’s plan to roll out a free SHS policy.

This has generated controversy, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) accusing the NDC of stealing its campaign promise.

However, addressing a news conference today, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, says the Free Senior High School promised by the government is not the same as what the NPP promised during the 2012 elections.

According to the NDC scribe, NPP took the free SHS policy from the 1992 constitution and decided to promise Ghanaians that it will take effect in the beginning of the 2013 academic calendar.

The NPP never talked about any progressive introduction of the programme, Aseidu Nketiah, intimated.

The NDC General Secretary noted that the party is working according the 1992 Constitution as a result of which the provision regarding the progressive introduction of free SHS was lifted from and incorporated into the party's manifesto after which other issues were added to make it comprehensive.

He therefore referred the detractors of the NDC to page 17 of the 2012 manifesto of the NDC, where the policy can be found for which president Mahama is bound to implement.