Plagiarism: Buhari angry, orders disciplinary measures against culprits

President Muhammadu Buhari is angry over reports in the social media that the speech he delivered at the launching of the ‘ChangeBeginsWithMe’ campaign was plagiarized from a speech delivered by the US President Barack Obama in 2008.

To this end, the president has ordered prompt and appropriate disciplinary action against those responsible for a wrongful insertion in his speech delivered at the launch of the “Change Begins with Me’’ campaign.

This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

According to him, this serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanction meted out.

Shehu stated that already a Deputy Director in the presidency has accepted responsibility for the insertion of the contentious paragraph, adding that the presidency regretted the mistake committed by the overzealous staff.

“It was observed that the similarities between a paragraph in President Obama’s 2008 Victory Speech and what President Buhari read in paragraph nine of the sixteen-paragraph address while inaugurating the Campaign on Sept. 8, are too close to be passed as coincidence.

“There was a mistake by an overzealous staff and we regret that this has happened.

“Already, a Deputy Director in the Presidency has accepted responsibility for the insertion of the contentious paragraph.

“This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanction meted.

“Presidency wishes to state in the clearest possible terms that it regrets this unfortunate incident and will ensure that this does not happen again.

“President Buhari urges Nigerians to look beyond this incident and focus on the message of change which the country needs in order to restore our cherished value systems,’’ he said.