The House of Representatives has constituted a special committee to probe the recent demolition of houses in Gio Town, Congo Town reportedly carried out by officers of the elite Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the Liberia National Police upon ruling from the civil law court.

The House, under the supervision of Speaker Alex Tyler on Thursday took the decision through yea and nail votes to constitute the special committee, which is expected to work with the House's leadership and report to plenary next Tuesday.

Rep. Julius Berrian

Members of the Special Committee include Representatives Clarence Massaquoi, Gabriel Buchanan Smith and Julius Berrian, among others. The decision is based on a communication from Representative Berrien of Montserrado County Electoral District #10, seeking intervention into the matter.

However, Montserrado County Representative Edwin Snowe made a motion that since the matter is in court, the House should not intervene; instead, the leadership should take charge with purported land owners, but Snowe's motion was resisted by Nimba County lawmaker Larry Nyenquoi, who argued that the lives of women and children are risk, and that there is a need for the first branch of government to speedily act in order to save lives and find rescuing avenue for hundreds of citizens currently in the streets.

Representative Nyenquoi was supported by another Montserrado County lawmaker Madam Munah Youngblood, who noted that thousands of dollars worth of properties have been destroyed under influence of the National Police, and that the matter could create insecurity if government did not act promptly.

Residents of the town on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 staged street demonstrations, blocking the main Congo Town-Monrovia route with mattresses, benches, bricks, pots and other items, demanding government's attention.

They took the street after their homes were demolished on the alleged orders of former Montserrado County Senator Madam Grace Minor on July 17, 2013. The ex-senator is claiming legitimate ownership of the land in question.

But some of the residents argued they were not given prior notice before the demolition exercise, while others said they have legal documents to their homes that were demolished. Congo Town came to a standstill with congested traffic for over eight hours as women and children sat on the main road along with their cooking utensils in protest.

Vehicles plying the Paynesville-central Monrovia route were prevented from passing in front of ex-President Taylor's residence in Congo Town. They instead detoured to the Congo Town back road to get to town. The residents' protest was very serious so much so that an ambulance carrying a sick patient was forced to turn around.

The opposition Congress for Democratic Change's Mulbah Morlu, who went on the scene, urged residents of the affected community to continue the strike, pledging the party's support to their action.