[NCUC-EC] Fwd: Re: Refund of Travel Support

Sonigitu Ekpe soekpe at gmail.com
Thu Aug 11 10:28:41 CEST 2016 

@Farzaneh I think your are not looking at my correspondences before
reacting.

1. I asked you do you want me to send my Euro MasterCard account statement
for the expenses I incurred using the credit card at the time I was
processing my visa for ICANN 55?

2. I need you to *note* that at no time did I claimed I paid for visa, I
said the insurance fee paid to zenith bank had no receipt and I did forward
the mail on that transactions.

3. At no time did the EC offered me a favour by reimbursing me more than I
spent, please refer to my email forwarding all the receipts and add the
cost of insurance to the receipts and let's know the total. Has anyone
asked how much was refunded by the airline for the cancellation of my air
flights to Morocco? The airline had refunded less the amount I paid and I
took it as a sacrifice.

4. I had made my point cleared in my previous email. Milton had no right to
decide or even the EC on what is good for me when it came to transferring
what I sadly accepted as EC decision. *Refer to my email or ask Rafik.*

5. Can you justify the current cost of incurring the same expenditure in
Nigeria for ICANN 55 and the cost for ICANN 56 & 57 with the current value
of the Naira.

*Lets take a simple example - refer to the US embassy website for Nigeria
and see the current exchange rate and cost of paying for a Visa.*

I am already fed up on this issue.

Thank you and bye.

On 11 Aug 2016 12:24 a.m., "farzaneh badii" <farzaneh.badii at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thank you Sonigitu. You are right. You requested for an increase in the
> allocated travel fund because of the visa expenses you incurred. We
> rejected that request. We had initially allocated you 1250 USD for Morocco.
> We were surprised that you went ahead and spent 800 Euros for the Moroccan
> visa,  considering that we had only allocated 1250 USD to you. I understand
> that you had to travel from one city to another and had to stay at a hotel
> for five nights but considering we had only allocated 1250 USD we became
> uncertain and concerned about your future expenses. Hence we decided to
> only reimburse you for the travel related  Moroccan visa expenses.
>
> In our EC meeting we discussed your case and decided:
>
> *"Motion passed for NCUC EC to compensate Sonigitu Ekpe for his visa
> expenses related to Marrakesh upon receipt of the appropriate documents
> showing that he actually incurred those expenses and to inform him of the
> decision not to provide travel support for Helsinki."*
>
> You can find the minutes here. http://www.ncuc.org/wp-c
> ontent/uploads/2016/04/Minutes_ncucec_250416.pdf
>
> We agreed to cover your visa-related travel expenses for Morocco. The
> receipts you sent totaled 218,000 Naira for travel expenses, You were
> reimbursed 234,456 Naira, more than you provided receipts for.
>
> Just a clarifying question: Are you saying that you paid your Morroco
> related visa expenses, in Nigeria, in Euro? If so, can you please send us a
> proof?
>
> Best
>
> Farzaneh
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 10 August 2016 at 20:29, Sonigitu Ekpe <soekpe at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> @ Farzaneh, l think there is need  for clarity. There was no time I
>> wanted my Morocco visa to be covered. I made a request for an upward review
>> of my allocation to Helsinki with an explanations of the expense I incurred
>> during visa processing for Morocco, based on that expense I solicited for
>> the EC to review  my allocation to $2000 or an amount more than $1250. At
>> no time did I request for EC to cover my Visa expenses for Morocco. The
>> mails are there for reference.
>>
>> As far as I am aware the EC has only reimbursed me with $699.869. I spent
>> money from my Euro denominated credit card and receipts were issued in
>> naira that doesn't mean I spent naira.
>>
>> Do you want to have my bank statements on my Euro account to see how I
>> spent from my credit card within that period?
>>
>> I knew that  this will occur and I had to inform the treasurer early
>> enough to avoid all this drag.
>>
>> In the meantime less amount was transferred from the US. Hence the need
>> for follow up.
>>
>> As far as I am concern I am being victimized and this goes a long way to
>> kill my zeal, interest  and commitment.
>>
>> I know how much I have sacrificed both physically, morally and
>> financially. This can clearly be demonstrated by the fact that despite the
>> all the set backs, I was still able to attend ICANN 56 meeting.
>>
>> This query is not an issue of money but a question of integrity. I wish
>> to be clearly understood.
>>
>> I feel very disappointed.
>>
>> Sonigitu Ekpe
>> On 10 Aug 2016 17:40, "farzaneh badii" <farzaneh.badii at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Sonigitu,
>>>
>>> I sympathise with you regarding receiving visas  and having to go
>>> through various processes. I totally understand that the situation you are
>>> at is frustrating.
>>>
>>> But please note that we decided not to proceed with covering your
>>> Helsinki trip because you wanted us to cover  your Morrocco visa trip
>>> expenses which was around 800 USD.
>>>
>>> I understand that you asked to be reimbursed in USD but that did not
>>> happen. While I am sorry that we might have overlooked this request, we had
>>> only decided to pay your visa expenses to Morrocco and if we have covered
>>> all the expenses based on the receipts you submitted in Naira then we have
>>> fulfilled our obligation. Our job was to reimburse you the visa expenses
>>> you incurred for Morroco. If that is the case regardless of what currency
>>> you have been paid in, you have been reimbursed fully.
>>>
>>> And I am sorry about the delay in payment.
>>>
>>> Best regards,
>>>
>>> Farzaneh
>>>
>>> On 10 August 2016 at 18:01, Sonigitu Ekpe <soekpe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear EC,
>>>>
>>>> I do appreciate your concerns. Meanwhile see the mail Milton sent me
>>>> below in respect to payments.
>>>>
>>>> Please kindly note my feelings:
>>>> 1. When my allocation was transferred to ICANN 56, I solicit for an
>>>> upward review to enable me participate as the cost to Helsinki was really
>>>> going to be high. I did immediately commence Visa processing and finally
>>>> secured the Visa and paid for air flight, accommodation before I was
>>>> informed of EC decision not to support me to Helsinki.
>>>>
>>>> 2.While following up on Visa for ICANN 55, I was regularly in touch
>>>> with Rafik and Joseph de Jesus. Their encouragement made me stay in Abuja
>>>> for that long while, because they made me feel all will be well.
>>>>
>>>> 3. Maryann asked me to send all the expenses I incurred for visa
>>>> processing, I did avail that information quite early, believing I will
>>>> receive the fund to support my trip, while in Helsinki I was asked if I
>>>> had  received my refund and of course no.
>>>>
>>>> 4. Today as an Africa why will I not feel bad in the way a support has
>>>> turned to punishment. I was very aware of the current recession going on in
>>>> Nigeria and I personally solicit for this fund to be paid into my dollars
>>>> account, so why will Milton convert the money on its way out. Is it fair?
>>>> Even when I provided him with the details of account, he requested for my
>>>> house address before effecting the transfer. Is this how Africa will rise
>>>> with all this unfair play?
>>>>
>>>> 5. I need him to revert the funds and pay me in dollars or euro as I do
>>>> have an Euro account, that is the only time I shall be happy. It took him
>>>> such a long time to effect the transfer. Why?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you
>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>> From: "Mueller, Milton L" <milton at gatech.edu>
>>>> Date: 11 Jul 2016 6:40 p.m.
>>>> Subject: Re: Refund of Travel Support
>>>> To: "Sonigitu Ekpe" <soekpe at gmail.com>
>>>> Cc: "Rafik Dammak" <rafik.dammak at gmail.com>, "Maryam Bakoshi" <
>>>> maryam.bakoshi at icann.org>
>>>>
>>>> Sonigitu:
>>>>> You shall be reimbursed based on the amount of euros you spent not on
>>>>> the amount of naira so the devaluation should not affect you
>>>>>
>>>>> Milton L Mueller
>>>>> Professor, School of Public Policy
>>>>> Georgia Institute of Technology
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 11, 2016, at 12:42, Sonigitu Ekpe <soekpe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Dear Rafik,
>>>>>
>>>>> Just a follow-up.
>>>>>
>>>>> I shall be happy for the EC to note the following:
>>>>> 1.That at the time I incurred the expenditure; the naira had not being
>>>>> devalue and the official exchange rate was NGN 199.50 to $ 1.
>>>>>
>>>>> 2. That the EC consider using the rate of exchange at the time of
>>>>> incurring the expenditure to make refund, so as to offer me a fair
>>>>> treatment.
>>>>>
>>>>> I must appreciate all the good work you all are doing.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you and warm regards.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sonigitu Ekpe
>>>>> On 11 Jul 2016 2:05 p.m., "Sonigitu Ekpe" <soekpe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Dear Rafik,
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you for the clarification.
>>>>>
>>>>> Warm regards.
>>>>> On 11 Jul 2016 1:54 p.m., "Rafik Dammak" <rafik.dammak at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Sonigitu,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks for the message,
>>>>>> as a reminder, the NCUC EC decided to cover your visa expenses for
>>>>>> Marrakech only and not covering your travel to Helsinki. You already sent
>>>>>> the expenses receipts to Maryam and Milton will wire the allocation for
>>>>>> Marrakech meeting visa expenses based on the banking details you shared.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rafik
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2016-07-11 16:54 GMT+09:00 Sonigitu Ekpe <soekpe at gmail.com>:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dear Rafik,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Greetings from Calabar - Nigeria.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It was my great pleasure meeting you at the just concluded ICANN 56
>>>>>>> held in Helsinki - Finland.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Please, may I request to be properly briefed on the NCUC allocation
>>>>>>> for me to attend the Helsinki meeting.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I would like the transfer to be in US dollars as the account is in
>>>>>>> dollars.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have concluded my blog and shall be sending it to you.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thank  you.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sonigitu Ekpe
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> NCUC-EC mailing list
>>>> NCUC-EC at lists.ncuc.org
>>>> http://lists.ncuc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ncuc-ec
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Farzaneh
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Farzaneh
>
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