The chief of Chereponi in the Northern region has stopped the voter registration exercise on the upcoming referendum for the creation of new regions.

Joy News’ Martina Bugri reports that the chief is against the addition of the Chereponi District to the North East region, which may be created after the referendum.

The Chereponi chief is against the move because he does not want he and his people to lose their loyalty to the Dagbon Kingdom.

They have said their loyalty will be shifted to the Mamprugu Kingdom if they are carved into the North East region.

The Dagbon chiefdom swears allegiance to the Yaa Naa who enskins the chief of Chereponi.

Martina says a District Security Council Meeting is currently underway with the security services, the District Chief Executive of Chereponi and Electoral Commission (EC) officials to find an amicable solution to the situation.

In the other regions, however, the registration exercise is going on without any major hitches.

In the Volta region, Hohoe District, from where Ivy Setordzi reports, some 30 people had been successfully registered as of midday, Sunday.

The only problem there, she said was the low turnout which she attributed to the fact that many people were yet to return from church.

EC officials there are hoping for an improvement once churches close.

“Apart from that, the exercise is very smooth,” Ivy said.

In the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo region, Precious Semevor reports that the process has been orderly and problem-free.

Only 13 people had been registered at the time of his report.

But since the church situation seems to be playing there too, EC officials are confident the numbers will increase once church services end.

At Techiman, which forms part of the proposed Bono East region, Anas Sabit Anas reported that the process began at exactly 7 AM.

He said fresh registrants from both Techiman North and South constituencies had been taken through the process of acquiring their voter identification cards.

As at midday, some 60 people had been successfully registered.

The registration exercise will take place within 47 districts offices of the EC for the affected areas and will be done online through the Commission’s Voter Management System.

The EC is mandated by law to hold the referendum to determine whether the voters in the regions to be created support the creation of the new region or not, the EC Chair Jean Mensa said.

The registration will, therefore, will take place from Sunday, September 16, to Tuesday 25.