Nigerian president “steals” Obama’s words in anti-immorality speech
“So, Michelle and Barack Obama have become the most brilliant students. The ones every one copies speeches from.”
That was how Nigerian poet Chika Jones Onwuasoanya reacted to news Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari may have plagiarised Obama’s speech.
Muhammadu Buhari recently launched a national orientation campaign tagged “Change Begins with Me” urging his countrymen to “change your unruly behaviour first before expecting my government to improve your lives” (paraphrased).
Many Nigerians condemned the campaign which information minister Lai Mohammed allegedly “stole” from someone. Mohammed denied any wrongdoing.
“Change begins with me” faces another allegation “theft”: Buhari allegedly stole the speech he used to launch the programme from Obama.
Buhari during the September 8 speech:
“We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long. Let us summon a new spirit of responsibility, spirit of service, of patriotism and sacrifice, Let us all resolve to pitch in and work hard and look after, not only ourselves but one another. What the current problem has taught us is that we cannot have a thriving army of rent seekers and vested interests, while the majority suffers.”
Obama in his victory speech on November 4, 2008, after he was first elected president:
“Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. “Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.”
ThisDay columnist Adeola Akinremi who first spotted the apparent plagiarism condemned Buhari and his handlers.
“It is immoral to plagiarize other people’s work, but even worse to use dishonesty to launch a campaign about honesty,” he said.
Buhari’s national orientation programme is aimed at encouraging Nigerians, most of whom the president seems to believe are irredeemably corrupt, to cease being “immoral”.
Buhari won’t be the first to have “stolen” lines from an Obama. Melania, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, allegedly plagiarised Michelle Obama’s speech earlier in the electoral campaign.
