The expiry of the second term of office of Joseph Sammut as Parliamentary Ombudsman marks the ebb of a small and distinct group of gentlemen in the public service who served the country in the second half of the 20th century at a time when, under successive governments, the Maltese public administration responded to the changing needs of a new island nation as it assumed full responsibility for the management of its own destiny.

As one of the leading exponents of this generation of seasoned public officers, Mr Sammut was at all times throughout his career inspired by a strong work ethic that was grounded in a deep sense of efficiency, motivation, integrity and resilience together with clear strategic thinking and an unwavering determination to meet deadlines.

Although in recent years various modern management fads have been introduced in the public service, the staunch commitment of Mr Sammut to the service values that highlighted his long and successful career, together with his high performance culture and a deep sense of pride in his work, remain unparalleled and unmatched.

No task was ever impossible or too difficult for Mr Sammut throughout his career, as he tackled each and every assignment with verve and enthusiasm and got to the heart of the tasks that were entrusted to him in a highly organised and focused manner that is most typical of him.

I consider myself privileged to have worked very closely with Mr Sammut for many years. We first met in 1970, when I was posted to the Economic Planning Division of the Office of the Prime Minister as a budding Higher Executive Officer and immediately struck up a relationship that was to last for a very long time.

I soon started to consider Mr Sammut as my mentor, especially when he took me under his wing and launched me in my civil service career. In those tempestuous years up to the mid-1980s, when we worked together hand in glove at the Auberge de Castille and came to understand each other by a mere glint of the eye, I appreciated Mr Sammut’s commitment to quality work, dedication and genuine advice to our political masters, even in times of turbulence and tantrums.

In the latter years of the 1980s, our professional careers drifted apart. During this period, I continued to admire from a distance Mr Sammut’s tenacity in his new responsibilities and determination to do his best for his country.

As fate would have it, in recent years I was again privileged to resume my old working relationship with Mr Sammut at the Office of the Ombudsman. Here too I could notice how he had lost none of his zest for work in his sustained defence of the right of citizens to good public administration, and although his efforts were at times vilified by those who ought to know better, this further sharpened his determination in favour of citizens’ rights and service improvement.

I feel deeply honoured to have worked closely with Mr Sammut for so many years and will continue to cherish fond memories of the various assignments that we tackled together through thick and thin and the experiences that we shared during all these years.

I am sure that the profile and standing of the Maltese public service among citizens would rise if those who hold public office were to uphold the principles, the values and the vision that guided Mr Sammut throughout his entire career.

By following in his footsteps, Maltese public administration would be in a stronger position to undertake an effective management and delivery of public programmes and better serve the national interest.

At this stage, I can only wish Mr Sammut an eventful retirement.