The Communications Minister-designate has refuted assertions that she is "temperamental and arrogant" as a public official.

Answering questions from members of the Parliament's Appointments Committee, Monday, Ursula Owusu-Ekufu said she was only being fair and firm in the course of her work, which has been interpreted as being arrogant.

Nonetheless, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa questioned the nominee about her conduct and use of inappropriate language during her tenure of office as a minister of state under the Akufo-Addo-led Administration.

Mr Ablakwa cited some three letters addressed to the Secretary of the Bank of Ghana, a Managing Director of a mobile money operator and Member of Parliament for Ajumako and ranking member on Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, in which the tone of her language was temperamental and asked how she intends to address it.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, in her response, said she merely used idiomatic expressions, especially in the case of a letter to Mr Ato Forson when she said that she would not go to the brothel for advice.

According to her, the words were taken out of context to suggest that she was insulting the ranking member.

The Minister-designate indicated that she would remain fair and firm in the disposition of her duties.

“Mr Chairman, that was an idiomatic expression that simply means, I know where to go for which particular information and I will not go to the inappropriate source to get it and so as my letter indicated, the honourable ranking member on the finance committee was seeking to tell me that I had no authority to do what I had to do and I told him in no uncertain terms that I disagreed with his assertion, and I will continue to do my work to the best of my ability.

“Maybe, it is the use of the word ‘brothel’ because I heard a lot of this in public commentary and I have responded to it, I am not operating any public brothel, I do not think that he operates on the level of brothels, and that’s not the meaning of the idiom.

“And so words have meanings, if we put the right meanings to them, we will not hop into the mistaken belief that maybe something untoward is being said but as I said, I am fair but I am firm in the work that I do,” the Minister-designate explained.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful further assured the Appointment committee that her stance on being firm may not change, but moving forward she will ensure a more subtle language.

“If people find an exception to it, I cannot promise that I will act differently but I will be more measured in my response moving forward, I cannot promise but I will try,” she added.

"I will endeavour to use public service language moving forward," she stated.