Gerald Ilukwe,Chief Information Officer,Kaduna State, speaks on Kaduna-based radio programme, Let’s Talk-Excerpts:
Accepting to work for Nasir El-Rufai, wasn’t difficult.Because I know that anywhere Mallam is, there’ll be great things happening, and with a lot of energy. I would never have imagined that I would be a part of it in the way I am today. When someone reached out to me that Kaduna State is doing a lot in ICT, that there are so many things seriously going on, and that they needed somebody to help them put it together….if I was interested? Quite honestly, because it was Mallam, whom I’ve always had the highest respect for I just said ok without hesitation. They needed somebody to help them put up an organization and I completely assumed they’ll be looking for a Kaduna State indigene or at least a northerner, neither of which I am, of course.
Basically, what went through my mind was, the possibility of a consultancy …meaning I will spend six months, put the organization in place, help them look for the lead ICT person, mentor the individual and then I’m gone. The availability of a rail service meant I could come in and out of Kaduna two/three times a week, do the work and get out. So I said “Ok, I’m interested.”
A few days later the gentleman came back, he said “this is like the same thing you did at the Federal level.” He is actually from Microsoft, so he knew me and knew my antecedents. He was like “all they want is for you to replicate the same thing”. In all honesty, I continued to see it as a part-time consultancy. Until,one of Mallam’s very senior advisers and Counsellor, confidant called me.
I was on holidays. He was very direct …and insisted on nothing less than two years, then I knew this six months would not fly. I initially said one year….he said no no no no no, we want two years. At that point I knew I couldn’t have it my way.
But I continued to stall…eventually I came to Kaduna. Again, I didn’t know anything about Kaduna. So I took the Wednesday train which only runs twice. I finished under two hours, but I had to wait till 6pm to catch the train back to Abuja.
So that’s how I ended up here, working for Kaduna State Government. And it’s has been interesting , because I found out that they are in a hurry, they’re still in a hurry…. I’ll rather work with someone who is in a hurry, than work with somebody who takes his time and who’s not in a hurry, no sense of urgency, you know. There’s a sense of urgency here which we are all driving, so that’s how I ended up as Chief Information Officer and Special Adviser ICT,to Nasir El-Rufai.
