President Muhammadu Buhari 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.
A Thisday columnist had uncovered the plagiarism, saying it was a big embarrassment to Buhari and Nigeria.
A statement issued Friday night in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the 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”.
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