Politics Presidency Issues Statement on Buhari's Plagiarism of Obama's Speech

[LequteMan]

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to reports he plagiarized American President Barack Obama's speech in his "Change Begins With Me" address.

In a statement released by Presidential Spokesman Garba Shehu, the Presidency "observed that the similarities between a paragraph in President Obama’s 2008 Victory Speech and what the President read in paragraph nine of the sixteen-paragraph while inaugurating the “Change begins with me” are too close to be passed as coincidence.

According to the statement, there was a mistake by an overzealous administration staff and we regret that this has happened.

"A Deputy Director in the Presidency has accepted responsibility for the insertion of the contentious paragraphs even when a query to him was being typed.

"This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate punishment meted.

"The Presidency, once again regrets this unfortunate incident. Measures have been put in place to ensure that this does not happen again.

"President Muhammadu Buhari admonished Nigerians to move past incident and focus on the message of change which the country needs in order to restore our cherished value systems.

 

[Temitope]

The speech was padded too?

 

[LequteMan]

The speech was padded too?

LOL. "Padders" abound at the state house.

Unku Tope, how have you been sir?

 

[Temitope]

LOL. "Padders" abound at the state house.

Unku Tope, how have you been sir?

I've been fine Sir Lequte.

 

[LequteMan]

I've been fine Sir Lequte.

Well done sir.

Don't you think it's reaal bad for the President to plagiarize Obama's speech? That guy, the defaulter, really disappointed Nigerians and pro-Buharians. He couldn't even package the thing well!

 

[wazobiaplus]

Teflon president, but we have bigger issues.

 

[kayode ajayi]

The administrative staff are definitely not #ThinkOutsideTheBox. Even the word 'President' was stollen from America.

 

[wazobiaplus]

When you are incompetent you surround yourself with the same. #LetsBeHonest

 

[kayode ajayi]

When you are incompetent you surround yourself with the same. #LetsBeHonest

I think it is unnecessary to be looking for foreign metaphors where Nigerians authors are. We import speach. .& everythin.

 

[wazobiaplus]

I think it is unnecessary to be looking for foreign metaphors where Nigerians authors are. We import speach. .& everythin.

And toothpicks

 

[dammylas]

Presidency for put citations to speeches consulted. (e.g Obama, 2016). What do you think

 

[Temitope]

Well done sir.

Don't you think it's reaal bad for the President to plagiarize Obama's speech? That guy, the defaulter, really disappointed Nigerians and pro-Buharians. He couldn't even package the thing well!

I pity the guy. Nobody really knows speech writers until they commit errors like this. He might be the same guy that wrote the "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody" speech. The president should also take responsibility for the gaffe and not just blame it on the speech writer.

 

[LequteMan]

When you are incompetent you surround yourself with the same. #LetsBeHonest

Not really. A competent person could hire another competent person who could in turn hire a not so competent or incompetent person who would make such mistake.

 

[LequteMan]

Presidency for put citations to speeches consulted. (e.g Obama, 2016). What do you think

Exactly! This is what I meant by "packaging" . Giving credit to Obama would have killed the issue from the start.

Or maybe the writer actually did give credit to Obama, and Oga editor decided it wasnt necessary and removed it.

 

[LequteMan]

I pity the guy. Nobody really knows speech writers until they commit errors like this. He might be the same guy that wrote the "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody" speech. The president should also take responsibility for the gaffe and not just blame it on the speech writer.

Mbanu, I disagree. You can't go from inventing "I belong to everybody and nobody" to plagiarising Obama. You'd know the consequence.

The coiner of the 'I belong to everybody' phrase was probably sacked and a "less expensive' speech writer hired. We are in recession sir

 

[muftah]

That's one of the major problem with Nigerian, always trying to exaggerate any error or mistake done by this administration, I don't or less care on such mistakes or errors, all I know or have seen so far is that this administration are doing there best to pimp all the rotten fields the other administration polluted, and I'm satisfied with there effort. At least they ain't thieves or that much corrupt like the past 16 years administration. Long live PMB [emoji106][emoji111][emoji110]

 

[wazobiaplus]

That's one of the major problem with Nigerian, always trying to exaggerate any error or mistake done by this administration, I don't or less care on such mistakes or errors, all I know or have seen so far is that this administration are doing there best to pimp all the rotten fields the other administration polluted, and I'm satisfied with there effort. At least they ain't thieves or that much corrupt like the past 16 years administration. Long live PMB [emoji106][emoji111][emoji110]

Nothing to do with Nigerians. The government goofed and we're called out on it. The president was talking about a major motivating campaign for suffering Nigerians and it appears it was just put together without thought. Now they blame some chap in the dark back room. You cannot believe a slogan that people have not thought about. Talk is cheap.

Don't blame Nigerians!