The government of Ghana has for the first time commented on the inflammatory comments of opposition lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong, saying the ?whole nation must rise up against it.?

The Assin North Member of Parliament has been charged with treason felony, attempted genocide and terrorism over inciting comments he made on his own radio station, Oman FM, last week. He is reported to have ?declared war? ? a move seen as usurping the powers of the president.

A former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, cautioned the government to deal with the treason case carefully since the prosecution is ?using a sledge hammer to kill a fly.?

However, in a sharp and direct reply to Mr. Kufuor, Vice President Mahama said: ?There is no way advocacy for violence of ethnicity should be something that we say ?you are killing a fly with a sledge hammer?.

?That fly must not arise at all and if I had my way you?ll not kill it with a sledge hammer, but we?ll trample it with a bulldozer because without Ghana?s unity and integrity, we?ll have no nation.?

Addressing members of the Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti region, he served notice that henceforth the government will not tolerate any member of its administration engaging in politics of insult in its bid to retain power during the December elections.

The Vice President condemned the infamous inciting comments of Hon. Agyapong. He called on the entire citizenry to condemn it.

Mr. Mahama said the Mills-led administration will punish all and sundry who are bent on causing trouble ahead of the crucial elections in December.

?If somebody comes and incites ethnic violence and say people should take clubs and clamp down people of other ethnic groups, then it is not something we should take lightly,? he said. ?He [Agyapong] was my colleague in Parliament and I don?t want to see him go to prison.?

He added: ?But the whole nation must rise up and say what you said was absolutely unacceptable. It is the silence of those who should speak for the truth that makes evil triumph over good.

?I wish on behalf of H.E the President [John Evans Atta Mills] to pledge that we?re committed to a peaceful campaign devoid of insults and we shall have a very successful election. The NDC is going to win not because we want power, but because the people of Ghana trust that our leadership is the best to move Ghana into the next level.?