Gittens speaks in Saba for Oath of Office Ceremony

The Bottom, Saba — On Wednesday, March 27, 2018, the Executive Council of the Public Entity Saba held an official Oath Taking ceremony, for their valued civil servants. The event focused on the importance and seriousness of the Oath of Office and reemphasized that all civil servants must honor their promise and are expected to uphold the rules and regulations of the Saba Government.

Tim Muller, The Island Secretary, opened the well-attended event highlighting the beauty of Saba and the unique richness, ambiance and solemn ethnicity that it holds true too. He also thanked the civil servants for their loyalty, commitment and dedication to the community.

Dr. Natasha Gittens was invited as the Guest Speaker for the event and had the ultimate challenge of engaging, uplifting and bringing across the message of how important and honorable the Oath of Office is. Gittens is a well-known global motivational speaker and successful entrepreneur and is no stranger to getting audiences to buy-in to her inspirational speeches and powerful messages. Her delivery was clear, effective and had the civil servants at the edge of their seats wanting more.

The Motivational Speech was titled, “Words.” The speech illustrated through Gittens’s personal stories, at an elevated level of energy with consistent audience engagement and fostering occasional laughter that “words” are powerful. Gittens highlighted that the Oath of Office is the foundation that ensures civil servants operate at a level of excellence both within and outside the Government building. That doing the right thing is not a choice but an expectation. Reminding civil servants that choosing to operate in shaded gray areas that compromise themselves and the regulations of the government is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  Furthermore, placing great emphasis that as a civil servant you must accept full accountability, responsibility for his/her actions daily. Finally, she captivated their attention when she stated: “You all must be proud an accept your honorable position as a role model within the Saba community while simultaneously respecting one another, building team synergy and helping the government reach its highest potential to protect Saba the “Unspoiled Queen.”

The Honorable Island Governor, Jonathan Johnson, concluded the ceremony and lead all the civil servants in his/her reading of the Oath of Office. It was evident that everyone in attendance understood their promise and was clear on the meaning of the words they were committing to. The room’s ambiance illuminated with pride and it was evident that the civil servants were proud to be an integral part of the Public Entity Saba as they stood proudly with Governor Johnson taking photographs that would archive the special moment.

The ceremony concluded on a positive and refreshing note and the civil servants had much to say about the motivational speech and their renewed level of commitment.

Mr. Levenstone: “The presentation was a great and awesome motivational speech!”

Mr. Budu: “The message helped us to move into another era. We need to work together in harmony to help this island move forward. The speaker today woke me up and I hope my colleagues as well.”

Ms. Lindsey: “It was a wonderful speech, Dr. Gittens held us accountable today. We need to put the words in motion and work better with our colleagues and supervisors.”

Ms. Barnes: “I found the event very inspirational, we fully understand our responsibilities but this was an eyeopener for many.”

Top photo caption: Left to Right: Island Commissioner, Bruce Zagers; The Honorable Island Governor, Jonathan Johnson; Dr. Natasha J. Gittens, President & CEO TPI; and Island Secretary, Tim Muller. Photo provided.

Photo caption: Dr. Natasha J. Gittens on arrival at the SXM Airport from Saba on Thursday, March 29th, 2018. Photo by Milton Pieters.