tempo indication without parentheses

[Paul Scott]

Tempo indications in some published music doesn't use parentheses, i.e. 
quarter = 120 rather than (quarter = 120).  I have my own code to do 
this but would like to know if I can get Lilypond to omit the 
parentheses in:

\version "2.24.0"
 \tempo 4 = 120

TIA,

Paul