Ghana’s President-elect, Akufo-Addo takes after Nigeria’s Buhari, accused of plagiarism (Video)

Ghana’s 54th president Nana Akufo-Addo got off to a worse possible start after he was accused of lifting portions for speech of two ex-American presidents into his inauguration speech.

Akufo-Addo, who reports say is slighted about the development, is accused of directly lifting from Bill Clinton’s and George Bush’s presidential inaugural speeches delivered in 1993 and 2001 respectively.

In his speech, delivered in 2001, Bush said: “I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.”

Similarly, the speech of Ghana’s President-elect, reads thus; “I ask you to be citizens: not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done.”

Furthermore, Akufo-Addo was accused of plagiarising portions of Clinton’s 1993 speech which read thus at the time; “Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us”.

Read also: Duterte confesses he once threw a man out of a helicopter

In his inauguration speech, the Ghanaian lawyer turned politician said; “Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.”

In what is turning out to be a trend, this is not the first time African leaders have been accused of lifting portions of speeches of past American presidents.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2016, came under a barrage of criticism after admitting part of his “Change Begins With Me” speech was copied from US President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory address.

 

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