By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The co-founder and chief operating officer of Bento Africa, Mr Chidozie Okonkwo, has been asked to take charge of the company by the board of directors, with Mr Ebun Okubanjo, the co-founder and chief executive officer told to step down.
The suspension of Mr Okubanjo followed an article published by Tech Cabal, accusing him of being toxic to members of staff.
In a message on Wednesday, the firm said the CEO will for now “take some time off” and will not be allowed to be involved in “all people-related decisions” until further notice.
In his absence, “Chidozie will now lead on this along with the country managers and functional heads” as efforts are being made to review “the HR and people practices and guidelines at Bento.”
The board promised to “work with HR consultants and the company’s in house team to make sure that it is reflective of human values that drive sustainable performance.”
“There is no place in the world for tyranny and we will ensure Bento becomes the leading voice for the transformation of every workspace into psychologically safe spaces that allow all employees to thrive,” the board assured.
It further expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Okubanjo’s “defensive and escalatory first tweets of Ebun on the matter, which we quickly moved against.”
“Our responsibility and charter is to the company, not the founders we invest in,” the board further stated.
“We are aware of the wider impact the conversation has sparked and we will lean into it, not just at Bento but across our personal portfolios – there is no place in the world for a workplace that isn’t healthy; it is unkind and does not build good companies.
“Due to the ongoing investigation which is being carried out by the external counsel, we will not be able to comment on individual issues raised for now. We, however, expect it to be quick and we will share our observations once concluded,” the statement from the board said.
