Onuzo, Oyibo, Adeola Production presents Adesuwa Etomi (Dara Olujobi), O.C Ukege (Mr. Gbenga Sanni), Ireti Doyle (Funlola), Sola Fasuda (Tomisin), Somkele Idhalama (Omawumi), Beverly Naya (Chiamaka), Gregory Ojefua (Chijioka), Bimbo Adnoya (Ebele), Lota Chukwu (Faridah). Screenplay by, Chinaza Onuzo; Director, Niyi Akinmolayan; Director of Photography, Richard Mabiaku, Sunday John Nwoku; Producers, Chinaza Onuzo, Zulu Oyibo, Omotayo Ademola; Executive Producers, Chinaza Onuzu, Kene Okwuosa, Zulu Oyibo, Omotaya Adeola. ©201
There’s a saying; never mix business with pleasure. That’s what happens between Mr. Gbenga Sanni (O.C. Ukege), a 46 percent shareholder and CEO of Iwaju Limited, and his next in command, Chief Operating Officer, Dara Olujobi (Adesuwa Etomi) with a supposedly 30 percent share in Iwaju Limited. Both mixed business with pleasure, and when Dara is about to get burnt in the process, she went to court with sexual harassment complaints against Gbenga for a million dollars in Naira value. She also wants out, her thirty percent holdings in the Iwaju Limited company. The courts sent them to the arbitration court. And here they are.
The arbitrator, Mr. Tomisin Bucknor (Sola Fasuda), represents the authority of the Federal Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 2004 in the case between Mr. Gbenga Sanni, represented by lawyer Funlola Johnson (Ireti Doyle) and Dara Olujobi, represented by Omawomi (Somkele Idhalama).
Every story has three sides: Ms. Dara Olujobi has one, Mr. Gbenga Sanni, two, and the one side that belongs to the truth. Mr. Buckner asks the Claimant to explain her side of the story:
Being a savvy I.T graduate and good at what she does, she’s able to gain a job with Iwaju Limited, and soon, she was able to garner and recruited more profitable companies to invest in Iwaju Limited that added value to the company, which makes her a thirty percent shares in the company. The only mistake is, she and Gbenga fall in love with each other, even when Gbenga was married to Chiamaka (Beverly Naya).
At a certain point in the relationship between Gbenga and Dara. There’s a moment of truth. Dara wants to pull out of the relationship with Gbenga because of his being married:
Dara, “I will always be your best friend.”
Gbenga, “What if I want you more than that?
Dara, “Are you ready to fight angry Catholic general?
Gbenga, “For you, I’ll fight a thousand.”
Gbenga’s lawyer, after the following conversation, surmised that at length, Gbenga was half responsible for the infidelity that ensued between him and Dara. But still couldn’t lose faith in her arguments. Ms. Johnson to her client, Gbenga, “So the Claimant tricks you into giving her a job, seduces you, tries for you to leave your wife, attempts to join your rival, and when all these fails, she accuses you of rape?
Gbenga only nods, “Yes.”
So far, the two sides have presented their cases. It is hard at this point, which comes hard to whom, but it is clear Mr. Gbenga Sanni, not only admires the technical savviness and business acumen of Dara but does gravely fall in love with her. Dara, does as well, based upon Gbenga’s promise to marry her instead of his absentee wife, Chiamaka (Beverly Naya). But when ones Dara finds that Chiamaka is pregnant for Gbanga, and which, “she didn’t slip and fall on his dick,” she pelts him with her phone and right there, tenders her two-weeks notice. Gbenga has a hold on her. She wants out of Iwaju Limited, her thirty-percent holdings. One evening when out of desperation, Dara comes knocking on Gbenga’s door for the situation with her shares; they again end in bed, even as there are tears in Dara’s eyes, which she later interprets as a rape.
There’s a short recess before Mr. Bucknor gives his verdict of the arbitration. Within that time, he has a brief meeting with his secretary, Faridah (Lota Chukwu):
Mr. Bucknor, “So, what do you make of all this, this so-called rape?”
Faridah, “I don’t think I’m in a position to comment.”
Mr. Bucknor, “But honestly, do you think someone can rape someone without force, the way they are describing?”
Beat.
During my first year at the university, the dean invited another girl and me into his office. He told us how his wife was always away. During this, he watches lots of porn. Especially having it with two girls…He told us how it was hard to get into law school, and how possible for us to get in. The other girl left. She said she was rushing to go to prayer meeting.
Mr. Bucknor, “And you, what did you do?”
Beat.
Faridah, “You know, the other girl…She’s a cashier at KFC. I’m entering law school next summer.
Mr. Bucknor has gotten his eureka moment. Between your story and my story, he has got the truth. When he calls the two parties, he straight goes to business by letting Dara forfeit her sexual harassment claim but deserves her thirty percent shares in Iwaju Limited plus her place on the board if she chooses.
Arbitration has a remarkable character disposition. Nollywood has a subliminal way of presenting motifs in their films. But by God, they hardly escape me. When I first see Mr. Gbenga Sanni in a black T-shirt with the picture of Scarface emblazoned on the chest, the character in that shirt reminds me of Tony Montana in Scarface (1983). The gangster never asks for it; he takes it. Mr. Gbenga comes close to take over all the shares of Iwaju, and aggressively so.
He meets his match in Dara Olujobi. She’s a nerd and has business acumen which sweeps Gbenga’s feet into working with her. Among the representatives in the room, she’s the most comfortable in her skin. Even her lawyer, at one point, almost lost it and wants to prematurely give in to under bargaining her shares for twenty percent to Gbenga’s lawyer. When there’s tension in the room, the slim cookie is snapping and playing with the rubber-band on her wrist, as if her thirty percent share at stake is nothing. She already knew the outcome.
Ms. Johnson’s presence put the goddam fear in Dara’s lawyer. Hear what she says to her, “What are you doing here, I thought you are in school…You know, your client is fortunate to have you despite your inexperience.” She’s banking on the fact that her opposing lawyer, Omawumi, is like a child to her and, therefore, can bludgeon her in court. Not at all.