Immigration Officer Harry Forbes’ colleagues and superiors unanimously assert that he is an exemplary employee, who proves his value time and again to his superiors.

So it is with pride but not surprise that his superiors learned that he had been named Government’s top employee for February.

Mr. Forbes in turn strives only to do his job to the highest standards every day.

“It is clear that you are one staff member who will go beyond the call of duty to assist the public and your fellow civil servants, whether they are from Immigration, Police, Customs or Prison,” Head of the Civil Service, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon. JP, commented.

Presenting Mr. Forbes with the award, he added: “Your overall care for service ranks you high on the list of valuable, loyal, dedicated and committed civil servants.”

Named the “Most Helpful”, Mr. Forbes displays his acumen on the job in all the areas he deals with, but notably in assisting with Spanish/English translations in legal matters and interviews, even when off-duty. He is also noted for the friendly and courteous service that he provides to tourists and residents alike in his border control duties.

Always conducting business with integrity and the highest level of professionalism, Mr. Forbes upholds the principles of justice strictly, whether he is investigating or highlighting breaches that could be overlooked.

This is easy for him because he is a rare individual who takes action and uses his keen eye and analytical brain to effectively scrutinise and research situations, his superiors note. He is also able to detect patterns in complaints and comments from clients and use the information to improve services.

He has put his excellent IT skills to full use as well in the department’s newly reformed Intelligence unit by helping to design and create electronic templates to streamline processes.

Always responsive to calls of duty, he is lauded for frequently returning after a full-day’s work, once even hitching a ride to work when his car was off-service. Such dedication and commitment to duty are rare, his superiors emphasise.

Asked to comment on his award, Mr. Forbes admitted being caught by surprise, albeit pleasantly, and stated, “I am happy to accept the award as a collective recognition of all hard-working colleagues in the department. This has inspired me to strive to continuously improve the department’s work and my own contributions.”

Photo captions: Photos by Lennon Christian

Photo 1: L-r: Chief HR Manager Briana Ebanks, Chief Officer Eric Bush, Immigration Officer Harry Forbes, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson and Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith

Photo 2: Immigration Officer in the Intelligence Unit, Mr. Harry Forbes, is CIG’s Employee of the Month for February.