Just like it happened to the Nigerian President a few months ago, Ghana's new President has been accused of plagiarising the speeches of former US Presidents in his inaugural speech.
Nana Akufo-Addo (C) takes the oath of office during the swearing-in as elected President
Newly sworn-in Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo has been accused of plagiarising a portion of former American president George Bush’s 2001 inaugural speech.
Akufo-Addo was sworn as the 54th president of Ghana, a country described as the “gold standard for democracy in Africa” taking over from John Dramani Mahama. But the new president’s inauguration was blighted by the accusation of directly lifting from Bush’s own inauguration speech, The Guardian reported on Saturday.
In his speech, 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.”
Akufo-Addo said: “I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done.”
Another portion where Nana Addo urged the citizenry to believe in their strength in tackling challenges seems to have been lifted from Bill Clinton's 1993 inaugural speech. Per checks, the only difference in the statement was the replacement of 'Americans' with 'Ghanaians'.
"Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people..."
This is not the first time West African presidents would be accused of plagiarising American presidents’ speeches.
In September 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari came under fire from critics after admitting part of his “
Change Begins With Me” speech was copied from US President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech. His aides put the blame on an unnamed “overzealous speech writer.”
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