The Strike

**“The Strike”** is the fifth episode of *The Governor*. Angela’s new role stirs up trouble in her party. She must decide which compromises she’s willing to make to keep the peace and maintain her power.

The episode originally aired on August 4, 2016 domestically in Nigeria, as well as in South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It and the rest of the show was made on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on January 26, 2017. The episode was added to the American Netflix catalog along with the rest of the series on August 8, 2020, and again on February 7, 2023, after it was returned to the catalog following its brief removal.

“The Assertion” is the previous episode and the next episode is “The Compromise.”

### Characters

* Paul Asemota
* Paul’s Driver
* Angela Ochello
* Sheri Jacobs
* Lola
* Hassan
* Sam
* Henry Duke
* Chinese ambassador (mentioned)
* Carl Bello (mentioned)
* Kunle
* Dupe
* Friday Bello
* David Ochello
* Osita Osadebe
* Peter Akale (mentioned)
* Goke
* Victor (cameo)
* Otilo (cameo)
* Vice Chancellor
* Farouk (via a cellphone)
* Patrick
* Gbenga Momoh-Alli
* Diane Momoh-Alli
* Musa
* Sobifa Thompson
* Senator Briggs
* Dr. Jalo

## Summary

Sheri Jacobs is assigned to Chair the Youth in Politics programme. Later during an ExCo Meeting, Angela had Commissioner Friday Bello re-route funds from a planned state trip to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, so that a development center could be completed. Goke and Otillo could only watch, as Friday had no choice but to accept the Governor’s terms. Angela Ochello inevstaigtes as to why so many infrastructure projects have been canceled, and rearranges funding from less essential trips and projects, to more crucial needs. She is disturbed by the lack of ambulances at the local hospitals, a reminder of the abrupt end of her predecessor’s term. She grills Commissioner Goke, and finds out the suppliers have not responded; to his surprise, Angela asked him to get her the list of suppliers ASAP. Angela also learns to balance family and political life, and decides to put off a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador. Henry and Friday have a brief argument about the Chinese deal, growing the mutual suspicions of each other even more. Toju and Dupe begin a relationship, to the disgust of Kunle. After Toju confessed his feeling, his friend stormed out of his house. The Big Three push for Angela to pick a Deputy with haste, preferably Friday Bello. When Gbenga arrives at the Governor’s Office, he urges Angela to consider a Deputy, and to watch her back. Angela dismissed her father’s fears, and promised the Big Three that she’d have a shortlist in the next few days.

### Synopsis

Angela Ochello begins to discover the cause of delays in various government projects, and has money rerouted back to essential issues. Meanwhile, she is being pressed to nominate a Deputy Governor by her father and the party elite.

### Outline

##### Intro

Paul Asemota exits the 13 Aina Street Hotel in a new business suit. He enters a CHS (car-hire service) sedan owned by the Savannah Car Hire company. He tells the driver to go to the Governor’s Mansion so he can meet with Angela Ochello. Asemota bribes the driver with about ₦3,000 ($7 USD), to remove a sticker indicating the car was a CHS vehicle. The driver ultimately accepts the bribe. Angela meets Sheri in the lobby of the Governor’s Office, who is running late to a meeting. Henry Duke tells Angela that the Chinese Ambassador has requested a meeting. Later in her office, she decides to postpone the meeting further, to Henry’s disagreement. She asks Henry to put together a team to create a plan for the next stages of the deal.

##### Act I

In the Governor's Mansion, Toju joins Iffy as she eats breakfast, and the two talk about their respective romantic relationships. Iffy advises Toju to tell Kunle how he feels about Dupe. In Henry’s office, Friday Bello argues with him about the continuous delays with the Chinese Deal. Friday insists the deal would benefit Savannah. Henry assured him that the deal is a high priority, and needs Ochello’s signature. In David Ochello’s office at the university, Osita asks for some coffee. He tells Osita that he was right about his relationship with Angela. Osita seems confident in Ochello’s potential. He reminds David to use his influence for good. The Vice Chancellor walks into David’s office, and is invited to sit down. After Osita leaves, the VC tells David that his trip has been approved, and says he liked his paper on African democracy. He encourages Henry to use his position as First Gentleman to encourage funding for their university, but David is hesitant to agree.

During an ExCo meeting in the Conference Room, Angela asks Commissioner Goke of Works about a shortage of ambulances in local hospitals. After finding out the money for them had been paid without any deliveries for up to a year; Angela directs Goke to give her all the details of the payment arrangements by the end of the day. During the meeting, Ochello also discovers that the launch of a women’s development center had also been delayed after 14 months. Commissioner Sheri Jacobs says that Friday Bello’s Finance Ministry refused to offer more funds to finish the project. Angela instructs Friday to divert funds originally intended for a state trip to the U.S. state of Utah, back to the Women’s Affairs ministry to complete to project. Despite his protest, Friday had no choice but to agree. Before adjourning the meeting, Ochello asks her Commissioners to prepare. report on their key priorities and vision for the state by the end of the week.

##### Act II

Later, Dupe meets with Toju, where he offers her some snacks. Dupe reminds him that she and Kunle are friends and nothing more. She tells Toju to decide what he really wants, but decides to stay. She tells Toju that after her parents divorced, she decided to live with her mom, a  decision Toju says he hopes he would never have to make. Toju lies about his past “girlfriends” only to find out Dupe likes him after she takes his first kiss.

As Ochello returns to her office, Lola informs her that a man from the National Union of Journalist has been waiting in reception, and wants a meeting. After Lola tells Angela the man’s name is Paul Asemota, she is visibly shocked and takes time to prepare herself. Paul arrives at the office, where the two catch up. Paul tells Angel that he’s still  doing photography. Angela reminds him that before she left for England, Paul “…walked away and never looked back…” 20 years ago. She tells Paul that the fallout from their previous relationship damaged her own relationship with her mom, Diane. Meanwhile outside, after learning that a journalist is meeting with Angela, Henry immediately grows suspicious of Paul. After Paul departs, he calls Farouk, and asks him to conduct a background check of him. Later Sheri arrives in Angela’s office, and thanks Angela for intervening during the ExCo meeting. Angela tells asks Sheri to take over as the Chair of the Youth in Politics initiative, and she accepts. When Henry arrives, he says he is confident Sheri is up to the task. After she leaves, Henry shows Angela a newspaper praising her response to Marbero housing collapse. Although Angela is uninterested, Henry says it could be a good angel for her political branding. He advises Angela to visit the boy she saved in the hospital; she agrees, but decides against bringing her family along with her. At the Governor’s Mansion, Toju is playing video games and eating lunch with Kunle, who inquires about Dupe. He tells Toju he’s thinking about taking Dupe out, and wants them to be more than friends. Toju tells Kunle that Dupe likes him; Kunle becomes angered and abruptly leaves.

Meanwhile in David’s office at the university, Osita finds him swamped in work and overwhelmed by the Vice Chancellor’s request. Osita reminds David that not everyone gets a chance to influence policy, and that more people will want political favors from him. Later in her office, Angela meets with her father, Gbenga. She tells him that she’s had to replace Musa with Hassan as CSO. Gbenga notices Angela political prowess, but she tells him she’s uninterested in a second term. Gbenga suggest Angela meets with the Big Three to discuss a compromise candidate for the Deputy Governor slot. Angea insists that they meet in the Governor’s Office, to Gbenga’s surprise. She reminds him that Friday Bello will never be her Deputy.

##### Act III

Before leaving the office, she asks Lola to call David and tell him she’ll be running late; she dismisses both Lola and Sam before attending to her meeting. During her meeting with Gbenga and the Big Three, Dr. Jalo lambasts Angela, furious with her refusal of Friday Bello as Deputy Governor. Gbenga appeals to the men for a compromise, and tells Angela that they are ready to support her government on three conditions: the Shining Light faction would get the positions of Deputy Governor, Chief of Staff, and Finance Commissioner. Angela assured them that Henry Duke will remain her Chief of Staff, and refuses Friday Bello as Deputy Governor, instead having him remain as her Finance Commissioner. Before leaving the meeting, Angela says she will give the men a shortlist of her own candidates within the week

That evening at the Governor’s House, Dupe and Toju tries calling Kunle but to no avail. Later, Diane Momoh-Alli meets with David in the living room. David insist that everything is find with Angela as Diane keeps asking questions.

As Angela departs from the Governor’s Office in her convoy, Hassan noticed Musa surveying her in his car. Before he can drive away, Hassan enters Musa’s car and puts him a chokehold, and threatens him with his own pocket knife. Hassan demands Musa stop surveying Angela before letting him go. As the night continues, Angela meets with Paul once again, in The Lakeside. During their dinner, Paul tells Angela that he regrets his choices, but also says he had no choice. Angela asks Paul about his own life, but he says there’s never been anyone for him since her. During the meal, Angela receives a text from David, telling her Diane is at the house. Before their meal concludes, Paul and Angela toast to her political rise.

## Production

### Music

* The Governor Theme Music - Michael "Truth" Ogunlade [intro]

* The Proffessor - Michael "Truth" Ogunlade [event]

* Daddy's Girl - Michael "Truth" Ogunlade [event]

* The Governor Theme Music - Michael "Truth" Ogunlade [outro]

### Release

* The episode debuted on EbonyLife Tv in Nigeria, 9:00 pm (WAT) and 10:00 pm (CAT). The episode was aired on DStv Channel 165 around Africa.
* The episode was made available on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on January 26, 2017, although is only watchable in some countries
* The episode was available on the American streaming service Netflix from August 7, 2020 to August 17, 2022; the series was restored to the platform on February 7 2023.

## Trivia

### General

* This is the only episode in which the country Kenya is mentioned. It is mentioned by the Vice Chancellor.
* This also the only episode that the United States is mentioned; Friday reminds Angela that a trip to the US State of Utah was planned, “…many moons ago…”
* This is one of the few episodes to not feature Carl Bello
* Paul is wearing glasses when he enters the car owner by Savannah Car Hire.
* Orange juice is seen on three occasions: in the background of the ExCo meeting, when Lola brings it to Paul and Angela, and when Toju and Kunle are eating lunch.
* Henry compares Angela to Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.

### Errors

* Paul ask the Savannah Car Hire service guy to remove his sticker on his car, and even bribes him. This is despite the fact that Angela, the woman Paul is trying to impress, would never even see the car.
* Osita appears in an orange shirt after appearing in a blue shirt in his previous scene; this could be an outfit for his planned game of Squash with David.

## Quotes

* “Friday, state your business.” - Henry Duke
* “Do you have coffee.” - Osita Osadebe
* “What are you cooking? A pot of stew?” - Osita Osadebe
* “You’re getting calls from the Chinese ambassador?” - Henry Duke
* “But he’s not the Governor anymore, is he?” - Henry Duke
* “She’s had a good teacher in Peter Akale, from all accounts.” - Osita Osadebe
* “Really? Oh, since last year?” - Angela Ochello
* “Um David. May I call you David.” - Vice Chancellor
* “Paul Asemota. As I live and breathe.” - Angela Ochello
* “Did you expect me to stand up to the Momoh-Allis and live? One of the wealthiest families in the country?” - Paul Asemota
* “Margaret Thatcher was known as the Iron Lady, and you, you will be known as the Compassionate Governor!” - Henry Duke
* “How best to manipulate a nation, if not to enslave their minds?” - Osita Osadebe
* “To do all the good you want to do, you can’t keep watching your back.” - Gbenga Momoh-Alli
* “This is government Angela, the whole place leaks like a basket.” - Gbenga Momoh-Alli
* ”Are you implying that Friday Bello is your enemy?” - Sobifa Thompson
* “Henry Duke is my Chief of Staff.” - Angela Ochello

## Promtional video

The EbonyLifeStudios YouTube channel released a video promoting "The Strike" the day before the episode debuted. The video is titled 'Will Angela Ochello back down as the big wolves remain adamant with their demand?'