Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a flag bearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), has pledged to provide the right leadership and commitment to transform Science and Technology Education, if given the mandate to lead the nation. Clear targets and bench marks would be set and this would be underpinned by discipline, he explained. Prof Frimpong-Boateng, an accomplished heart surgeon and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Kumasi, on Tuesday. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Mr Alan Kyerematen, Mr Isaac Osei and the Reverend Kwame Kodua, are his contenders in the primaries, scheduled for August 7. Prof Frimpong-Boateng said he would make sure that the nation's resources were effectively and efficiently harnessed to aid an industrial take off and cut back on foreign goods imports. He made reference to Ghana's rich gold deposits, saying the University of Mines and Technology at Tarkwa should have put in place timelines for design of machinery for prospecting, mining and refining of the mineral. This way, the country would derive maximum benefits from the natural resource. He is in the Ashanti Region on a campaign tour to solicit more votes ahead of the national delegates' congress. He said there should be no doubt that with the needed political will, vision and drive, the economy could be propelled to greater heights. The present situation where the country is supporting the growth of economies of other nations should not be allowed to continue and must be tackled head-on. Prof Frimpong-Boateng said he would encourage the setting up of micro-industries to create wealth and give jobs to the people. He wondered why things like comb, needles and buttons could not be produced locally and would have to be brought in from outside. He would also give priority to studies into vegetable oils including jatropha, palm-oil, sunflower oil and castor oil. These, he said, hold a lot of promise for the economy. Source: GNA