Red faces over president’s copycat speech
IN AN embarrassing start to his new presidency, Ghana’s new head of state has apologised for plagiarism during his inaugural speech.
The office of Nana Akufo-Addo issued an apology on Sunday after he was accused of lifting passages from speeches by Bill Clinton and George W Bush during his inaugural address to the nation, Al Jazeera reported yesterday.
Following his Saturday swearing-in-ceremony in the capital Accra, social media users started pointing out similarities between Akufo-Addo’s speech and those delivered by the two former US presidents.
“Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us,” AkufoAddo said.
It echoed Clinton’s 1993 inauguration speech: “Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. And Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. We must bring to our task today the
vision and will of those who come before us,” Clinton said.
In another instance, AkufoAddo said: “I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation.”
In his 2001 inaugural speech, George 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, 72, a former human rights lawyer defeated incumbent John Dramani Mahama in last month’s elections. ANA