The warning follows a Friday briefing to the governor from a senior delegation of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), led by Vice President Biem Thonchar.
The statement, as viewed by Sudans Post, reveals that discussions focused on operational hurdles, including insecurity, communities living near oil wells, and budget shortfalls in the company’s Department of Community Development and Corporate Affairs.
Dr Manytuil, reappointed to the governorship on March 23, 2026, after serving from 2013 to 2024, reaffirmed that protecting national oil installations remains a top priority for his administration, stressing the importance of close coordination between the state government and oil companies to resolve ongoing challenges.
The governor explicitly warned against neglecting oil-producing communities, stating that withholding life-saving services contradicts the core principles of the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (EPSA).
Dr Manytuil called on GPOC and other operators to support the state government by delivering clean drinking water, enhancing community connectivity, and creating youth employment opportunities.
The meeting is part of his broader initiative to engage Joint Operating Companies (JOCs) to improve strategic coordination and the delivery of social services. Ling Gatgach Nhial, State Minister of Finance, Planning and Investment, attended the session.
This engagement occurs amid longstanding concerns over environmental pollution in Unity State’s oil fields, particularly in Koch County.
Local NGOs and health reports have documented clusters of congenital anomalies — such as missing limbs or eyes, extra digits, skull and brain malformations, and organ defects — in communities near oil wells and waste pits.
A Sudd Environmental Agency assessment recorded 144 such cases in Unity State from January 2021 to April 2022, while Koch County Hospital noted 15 cases of severely deformed infants (all fatal) since 2019 as of late 2023.
Residents and some official correspondence have linked these issues to oil-related contamination from unlined waste pits, produced water, spills, and heavy metals in soil and groundwater.
The governor’s remarks signal a firm stance on corporate accountability for waste management and community welfare in chemically concentrated zones, building on his earlier calls during his previous tenure for scientific investigation into pollution impacts. Oil operators have in the past maintained that direct causation requires further verified evidence.
