In a shocking turn of events, a senior trustee of the renowned charity Oxfam has resigned from the organisation’s board, citing “governance failures” and the “cruel and inhumane” treatment of the former chief executive, Halima Begum.
Dr. Balwant Singh, who has served as a trustee since November 2022, expressed his deep concerns about the leadership and decision-making processes within Oxfam. In a strongly worded resignation statement, he said he had “lost confidence in the board’s governance, integrity, transparency and accountability” following Begum’s forced departure last month.
Singh’s resignation comes just a month after Begum left the charity amid apparent divisions within the board of trustees. The trustee has now called for external regulatory intervention, arguing that the “systemic problems” at Oxfam warrant an independent investigation into the organisation’s governance failures.
“The findings of the leadership investigation were not shared with [Begum], and she was not given a right of reply,” Singh said, condemning the “brutal” way in which the former CEO was treated. He also apologised to Begum for the “cruel and inhumane” manner in which she was forced out of the organisation.
Oxfam has since announced that it will commission an independent review of its board processes following Begum’s departure. The charity’s chair, Charles Gurassa, who is also the chair of Guardian Media Group, stepped down in November, shortly before Begum filed a grievance claim against him.
In its statement, Oxfam said the employment investigation firm Howlett Brown had been appointed to examine the continuing concerns about Begum’s leadership, and that the board had unanimously decided that trust and confidence in her had been lost.
However, Singh has criticised the lack of transparency and the failure to share the findings of the investigation with Begum, arguing that she was not given a fair hearing. He has called for the Charity Commission to remove the current board and launch an independent investigation into the governance failures at Oxfam.
As one of the country’s largest charities, Oxfam’s reputation has been called into question, and the resignation of a senior trustee over the treatment of the former CEO is a significant blow. The independent review promised by the charity will be closely watched, as it seeks to address the deep-seated issues that have led to this crisis.
