The Bureau of Public Enterprises yesterday denied approving the payment of six months arrears of salaries for workers of moribund Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, Mtel.

It was reported last Friday that acting BPE Director General Benjamin Dikki told the leadership of NITEL branch of the Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) who visited him in his office, that the bureau would pay six months arrears of salaries of NITEL/Mtel workers.

But BPE's spokesman, Chukwumah Nwokoh said in a statement yesterday that the acting DG of the bureau only approved one month salary for workers of both companies owing to budgetary constraints.

"Dikki noted that the balance in the 2012 capital budget for the purpose of paying the salaries of staff of Nitel/Mtel can accommodate only one month's salary," the statement said.

He added that the acting DG said that the bureau is working assiduously to ensure that the balance of the workers' salary arrears is captured in the 2013 budget so that the workers could be paid on a regular basis as from next year.

On NITEL/Mtel casual workers, the statement said Dikki assured that the bureau is collaborating with the relevant government agencies to resolve the issue. He pledged the bureau's determination to proactively tackle NITEL/Mtel issues.