President Buhari is free to send me on assignments – Jonathan

Immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan has stated that he is ready to work for his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan, however, said he would not force himself on the current government if his attention was not needed.

The former president who was in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was honoured by an association of international diplomats, the Cercle Diplomatique, based in Geneva, for the roles he played during the smooth transition of power in 2015, however declined comment when asked by journalist to rate the current government.

He said, “I am former president and I cannot throw myself on the new government. It depends on the assignment the current president decides to give me and also depends on if I have the capacity to carry out such assignment.

“He is our president and can decide to send people on assignments based on national interests. When I was in office, I used to give assignments to former presidents and that is how it has always been. I am free to work for my country and indeed for any other African president that considers my service valuable.

On whether the current government is living up to expectation, the Otuoke-born politician said, “but when you ask me about what is happening to all my legacies and what is happening in the government today, I will tell you that you are being unfair to me. You do not expect a former president to begin to speak of his successor, especially knowing that I have just left office.

“It is not standard practice anywhere because any comment I make now, whether positive or negative, could be misinterpreted. I will tell you that you are not helping me, you are not showing me love, if you continue to insist that I should run commentaries on the activities of my successor.”