So you didn’t notice that our president lifted a whole paragraph from Obama’s 2008 victory speech and passed it off as if the words were his own? Yes, a prime part of Buhari’s speech to the nation last Thursday to launch a campaign encouraging new culture of transparency, attitudinal change and hard work among Nigerians was plagiarized from Pres. Obama’s 2008 victory speech (both pictured above)
It is immoral to plagiarize other people’s work, but even worse to use dishonesty to launch a campaign about honesty. When you use another person’s work without acknowledgement, you have plagiarized. You simply pretend as if it is your own. It is unethical.
It makes a mess of the campaign from the start. That is what Buhari has done, nobody will believe in the ‘change begins with me’ campaign, because it was built on lies.
Now, this is what I think must have happened, an incompetent speech writer handed the speech to Buhari with no fact checking method by the president’s men that should have saved the president from this embarrassment.
Interestingly, the world is watching Buhari and the story of his plagiarism may have crossed the Atlantic without him knowing. Americans don’t joke with such issue. They name and shame plagiarists.
Next week, when Buhari take his turn to address the 71st regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Americans will scrutinize his words and check his facts.
Before that time, it is my submission that Buhari needs to apologize to Nigerians for plagiarizing on a day he launched “change begins with me.” Will Buhari apologize?"
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