President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the redeployment of the Deputy Director responsible for the President Obama’s plagiarized speech when he launched the “Change Begins With Me” campaign.
Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu confirmed to journalists that the unnamed civil servant had been relieved of his duties at the state house. He said: “He came from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service on posting and he was asked to return (to that office). They will handle his case in accordance with their regulations.” “We regret that this has happened. This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate punishment meted.”
The presidency has put in place a new digital process in the State House to aid the process of drafting speeches. This includes the provision of tools that detect plagiarism, similar to those used by editors and academics around the world.
It is not the first time Buhari has been called out for plagiarism. In his inauguration speech in May 2015, he received plaudits for his quote: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.” This line was later attributed to French President Charles de Gaulle, who was quoted in a book saying, “I am a man who belongs to no one and who belongs to everyone,” while addressing a press conference on May 19, 1958.
