The Leek community leadership is demanding that the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) which operates the Unity oil field clarify how a child was electrocuted at their facility nearly two weeks ago and pay blood compensation to the deceased’s family.
The deceased, Wiey Stephen Salaam Maluit, 11, was the son of the security advisor to the governor of Unity State, Stephen Salaam Maluit. He was electrocuted at the GPOC facility and later flown to Juba for treatment but passed on there.
Sultan Kawai Chap, the Leek community chairman in Nairobi, told Radio Tamazuj over the weekend that they appealed to GPOC to issue a statement of condemnation and devise a way to compensate the family of the deceased child but have not received a response from the oil company.
“Yes, the son of security advisor Stephen Salaam Maluit was killed by an electric shock in Unity oil field,” Sultan Kawai explained. “They (GPOC) have been informed several times and they ignored the message from the community and the flood is too much and they were given some warning about electricity.”
He added: “We have put forward some clarifications and we need people of GPOC to come out with a statement. We requested them to come out with a statement of condemnation and also how to compensate the child. We have not yet seen even their condemnation letter or any statement from their main office.”
Sultan Kawai said there is too much flooding and advised the oil company to secure their facilities to avoid such accidents.
For his part, Lam Tunguar Kuiegong, the chairman of the Leek community in South Sudan who also doubles as the Unity State minister of physical infrastructure, land, and housing, confirmed the child was electrocuted within the GPOC facility and balmed it on lack of awareness.
“There was lack of awareness among the community of Rubkona and Mayom that are staying around the facility and the children from the community used to climb on top of the wire fence and this is where the child got electrocuted and he was taken to Juba for treatment but died after four days,” Minster Tungwar said.
The state’s information minister, Hon Gabriel Makuei Bol, said that after the accident, the child was transferred to Juba for further treatment by GPOC.
“I just heard it today (Friday), but the incident occurred last week and I got this information that the son of the security advisor passed away as a result of an electric shock in the Unity oil production area,” Minister Mahuei said. “The child did not die immediately but it was a big shock from electricity and he was taken to Juba for treatment by GPOC who took care of him before he died.”