Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kobby Acheampong, has described as unnecessary, persistent calls by the Minority in Parliament on the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama to apologise for describing their vehement opposition to collateralize Ghana’s oil as “foolish” and “baloney”.

Speaking on CitiFM’s Big Issues, Mr. Acheampong put forward that the Vice President has not done anything wrong to warrant an apology. According to him, there was nothing insulting about the Veep’s choice of words.

Mr. John Mahama, who was addressing NDC youth over the weekend, expressed surprise that the minority NPP was strongly against any attempt to collateralize Ghana’s recently discovered oil, with the excuse that “oil is a blessing and that it shouldn’t be collateralized in advance. What the hell?!” he yelled.

The Vice President also described as “foolish and baloney” the Minority’s position that the state must not be allowed to use the country’s expected oil revenue as collateral for securing loans for infrastructure development.

His language raised quite a storm in the country’s political terrain with some aggrieved persons, especially the Minority in Parliament, calling on the Vice President to apologise for his comment.

The Minority in Parliament led by the MP for Manhyia, Hon. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, had threatened to expose the Veep if he did not apologize for using what they considered to be intemperate language – foolish and baloney – to describe their opposition to an amendment to the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill.

But the Deputy Health Minister believes the Veep did not err in anyway, adding that the issue of apologizing has suddenly become the mantra of the NPP.

Mr. Acheampong opines that any form of apology by the Vice President should emanate from his own volition and not because of the demands of the attention seeking Minority in Parliament.