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Parts of President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo’s inaugural speech at the Independence Square on January 7, was lifted from inaugural speeches delivered by former US presidents, George Bush and Bill Clinton.

The two American presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, delivered their inaugural speeches in 1993 and 2001, respectively.

Part of the speech was lifted from the one Mr. Bush delivered on 20 January 2001: “I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.”

Without attribution President Nana used the same words during his speech. He said: “I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character,” without attribution.

The other bit that was plagiarised was from Clinton’s speech which was delivered on January 20 1993:“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,” Mr. Clinton said at the time.

In Nana’s case, the word Americans was changed to Ghanaians. He 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.”

Mr. Akufo-Addo’s communications director, Eugene Arhin, had since apologised for the speech, describing it as “complete oversight and never deliberate.”

“I unreservedly apologise for the non-acknowledgement of this quote to the original author,” Mr. Arhin added, Premium Times reports

A composite video by Joy News showing how Mr. Akufo-Addo plagiarised Bush and Clinton’s speeches went viral on the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GaGJdXJ77Q