The boardroom door banged open as if people were leaning on it and Mrs. Olayomi and Benibo rushed into the room talking simultaneously. This had become his office in the last couple of days, just as he had also converted his office to his bedroom. He hadn‘t been home for three days; he‘d been swamped with work. Edward stared at their faces in fatigued confusion but smiled as their excitement flew in after them.
“We‘ve made it!” Benibo crowed in victory. “We found the seven percent.”
Edward jumped up; this was their first real lead. “That is great news. Forgive me but I was so swamped; there are so many decisions to be made. Sit down and tell me what‘s happening.”
“The lawyers of the executor of the seven percent just called to say it‘s on the market. They want a meeting with us in the next couple of days. We set up one for noon tomorrow. After the brief phone conference, we offered to buy at five percent over the market price. The executor‘s broker was very negative; he made it clear that our acquirers were also interested, and he wanted it to end in an auction with them. We have to be able to beat their price.” Mrs. Olayomi‘s brow was furrowed with worry.
Benibo added, “I can tell you the broker didn‘t find it funny at all. He begged out of the meeting halfway through the call. I‘m sure he would have liked to sell it to our rivals and make a big killing. The lawyers seem more neutral, but we‘ll see tomorrow.”
“Damn,” Edward muttered. “My flight to New York is for seven this evening; you‘ll have to represent me at the meeting. That reminds me, did you find out more about the acquirers?”
“Yes we did.” Mrs. Olayomi replied, “It took us this long because they hid behind a lot of corporations and subsidiaries. But there was no doubt on the information we got this afternoon after the meeting. They‘re a company based in Kano with big interests in agro-allied manufacturing whose shares are publicly traded on the stock market. The chairman is Chief Okrika. He lives in Kano with his wife but according to sources, he‘s been staying in Lagos for the past several months.”
Benibo threw a question into the brief silence that enveloped the room at that piece of information, “Do you know the man? There isn‘t any reason that particular set of interests should intersect with our business. It may be a vendetta.”