A source close to the Assembly told the ADM yesterday "the Assembly needs the political will in order to clear the streets of hawkers, but at the same time pressure is mounting on us to rescind our decision."

The source said the AMA also wants to avoid creating room for "political opponents to accuse the government of witch hunting."

The source said because the ruling New Patriotic Party lost the Odododiodoo by-election, if the AMA goes ahead to sack the hawkers it would be perceived as witch hunting.

The AMA used about four billion cedis barely seven months ago to rid illegal hawkers of the streets of Accra. However, the hawkers suddenly stormed the streets again some few weeks before the Odododiodoo by-election.

The AMA insider said this time round the AMA is contemplating whether to go ahead and eject the hawkers or wait until the new market near the Odawna area that is being prepared for the hawkers is completed.

ADM's source said because the AMA has not prepared a place for the hawkers to move to if they are sacked "the AMA will have no moral justification to go and sack them. Not until the new place is done the AMA would continue to be in a fix."

The source said in the medium term what could prevent the hawkers from moving to the main streets is to use barbwires to fence the pavement.

"This would deny the hawkers access to the streets to go and sell. The situation as it stands now is dangerous, and life-threatening," it said.

When the ADM visited the CBD and the Kojo Thomson Road the hawkers had virtually occupied one of the three-lane roads. Commercial vehicles, which usually ply that road, had to toot and honk their horns to enable them to have access to the road. Vehicular traffic was slowly building up on the road as well.

The source said as part of the moves to move the hawkers from the streets, the AMA should encourage satellite markets - smaller markets at vantage places.

"This would encourage the hawkers to move to such markets to sell their wares. In Europe and other developed countries, they have flea markets for specific products, Sunday shopping, afternoon markets and other types of markets just to decongest population at the major ones," it said.

There is mixed public reaction to the "battle" between the AMA and the hawkers. A section of the public is calling on the city authority to be humane with the hawkers while others argue that ridding the hawkers of the streets would push Accra towards a first class city.