The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has told the Energy Minister-designate, Matthew Opoku Prempeh to learn to pray for his tongue while he was cautioning him to manage his mood and temperament as he climbs the political ladder.

The caution follows Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s dismissive attitude when he was being questioned by the Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhunyini concerning allegations he had made against former President, John Mahama in 2019.

In 2019, Opoku Prempeh said at Information Ministry press conference that Mr Mahama, bused parents and their wards, from across the country to fake fainting at the Independence Square in Accra.

This was in the wake of challenges with the Computerised School Placement System for BECE qualifiers into Senior High Schools under his watch. 

However, when the newly appointed Energy Minister-designate was asked at his vetting on Friday by his Tamale North MP colleague whether he can substantiate that allegation, he backtracked stating that he had no evidence whatsoever.

Haruna Iddrisu, who is Minority Leader and Ranking member on the Committee also waded into the comment following Dr Opoku Prempeh’s demeanor regarding withdrawing the comment.

He urged the Energy Minister-designate to do the right thing so the vetting can make progress.

Consequently, Dr Opoku Prempeh was forced to retract and apologise which he did.

At the end of his line of questioning, Haruna Iddrisu had this to say to Opoku Prempeh:

“When the honourable Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhassan Suhuyini were questioning you, I was not particularly happy with your mood.

“Mood, because scrutiny of this nature as observed by one congresswoman is to look at the knowledge of subject matter, IQ, temperament and service to the Ghanaian people and that’s what they sought to do.

“In the past, maybe call it exuberance, you probably before assuming office must have had your own view about who you succeeded and others. But I notice that you were not particularly happy and you were finding it difficult to retract even when it was necessary.

“You don’t need to comment on it, it’s personal advice. My mother said that each morning I should pray for my tongue so I’ll leave it there. Learn to pray for your tongue and learn to manage your mood and temperament because there is some potential ahead of you as a young person.

“I don’t think that we should be using those strong words. I mean in the view of Professor Ocquaye, the political class, if you want to say something about a former head of state, a former minister of state and we use language that when the public disrespect us, we wonder who has sold us cheap to the public.

“So pray for your tongue. You don’t need to respond to it, but I just think that you should be able to manage it and you didn’t need to be provoked at all.”