Ever since it became public knowledge that President Muhammadu Buhari had in his “Change begins with me” speech this month lifted a paragraph from US President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech, so much have trailed the perceived blunder.
Although the presidency has apologized for the incident – which it blamed on an overzealous aide and have even announced it would install plagiarism detection software in the computers of its speechwriters to prevent a recurrence, some Nigerians still appear miffed.
The government has also been advised to install ‘Turnitin’ an Internet-based plagiarism-prevention service to forestall future occurrence.
Below are some reactions on Twitter;
I commend President @MBuhari for agreeing to buy a plagiarism detector for the villa and urge him to buy a Lie Detector for Lai Mohammed!
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) September 19, 2016
Hello @NGRPresident, kindly note that a plagiarism detection software (Grammarly) costs $139 a year. cc @AsoRock @ProfOsinbajo
— BudgIT Nigeria (@BudgITng) September 19, 2016
@benmurraybruce I guess the plagiarism in the presidential speech is also inherited from the past administration. Blame is their focus!
— Ishaq .I. Shelleng. (@Shelleng01) September 19, 2016
The President probably didn’t know plagiarism was wrong #ReasonsFormalEducationIsimportant
— god Bufazi (@king_JCROSS) September 19, 2016
Presidency to stall plagiarism detection software. It’s Turnitin
LOL???
— Abubakar Mukhtar (@mukybakar) September 19, 2016
@Omojuwa Adegbenga should go back to school…Plagiarism is as bad as stealing.
A criminal offence— Mazi Pita (OON) (@Elite_79) September 19, 2016
@MBuhari, so as not 2 waste Nigeria’s scarce FX, I volunteer 2 pay the $20 per month for d anti plagiarism software. pic.twitter.com/5yzGCeUJwS
— Mr. Aye Dee (@MrAyeDee) September 19, 2016
"President to install a plagiarism detection software"… This is what @Turnitin is for, Less than €100.
— Niyi. (@xniyi) September 19, 2016
Dear @BudgITng. Grammarly Premium with Plagiarism detection is $139 a year. Note that there are no Millions behind. Please tell Aso Rock
— Victor Asemota (@asemota) September 19, 2016
The dangers of stopping plagiarism in Nigeria -2/3 of our blogs will vanish, Facebook updates’ll drop & university degrees will be revoked.
— Dr. Njakiri Damages (@DrDamages) September 17, 2016
There is urgent need to start deploying https://t.co/LVpdUAzEZZ, etc in order to check plagiarism before publishing any report or research
— Isa Ali Pantami, PhD (@DrIsaPantami) September 16, 2016
Only in my country will an educated human being with degrees sef korokoro justify plagiarism by a president as ‘normal’, ‘not a big deal’..!
— Juliet ‘Kego (@julietkego) September 16, 2016
Plagiarism is bad. Quite an unnecessary embarrassment.
I am glad PMB is taking this case serious.
Care should be taken from now on.— ZahrahMusa (@Zahrahmusa) September 16, 2016