Nene Dzikunu Ackwerh III is a Gazetted Chief of Hwakpo — Judicial Committee Rejects Puplampu’s Bid to Style Himself Hwakpo Chief
The Judicial Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs has rejected an attempt by Isaac Buertey Puplampu to amend his name in an ongoing chieftaincy appeal in a manner that would project him as the chief of Hwakpo.
In a ruling delivered on February 26, 2026, at the Guggisberg Memorial Hall, the committee dismissed Puplampu’s application to alter his name in the court records to read “Nene Hakpo Adi Buertey Puplampu IV.”
The Judicial Committee held that granting such a request would amount to recognizing two chiefs occupying the same stool in Hwakpo at the same time — a situation contrary to customary law and established legal precedent as Nene Dzikunu Ackwerh III is the gazetted chief of Hwakpo.
*Background to the dispute*
The case originates from proceedings before the Judicial Committee of the Ada Traditional Council, which on November 24, 2022 delivered judgment in favour of petitioners from the Ackwerh family in a chieftaincy dispute involving the Hwakpo stool.
Following that decision, the respondents — Dr. David Buernor Puplampu (substituted by Rev. Theophilus Tawiah Puplampu), Isaac Buertey Puplampu and Nomo Ernest Narh Puplampu — filed an appeal at the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on December 7, 2022.
While the appeal was pending, Isaac Buertey Puplampu filed a motion on October 17, 2025 seeking permission to amend his name in the appeal documents to reflect what he described as his stool name.
He argued that the stool name “Nene Hakpo Adi Buertey Puplampu” had been used during earlier proceedings before the Ada Traditional Council but had been omitted in the current appeal records.
The application was opposed by the petitioners — Nomo Ernest Samuel Ackwerh, Nene Dzikunu Ackwerh III, Nathan Nomotey Ackwerh and Madam Beatrice Bieta Ackwerh.
They argued that Puplampu was not a recognized chief and therefore could not legitimately assume a chieftaincy title in the proceedings.
The petitioners further pointed out that the Hwakpo stool already has a recognized and gazetted chief in the person of Nene Dzikunu Ackwerh III, whose name appears in the National Register of Chiefs.
According to them, allowing Puplampu to amend his name to include a stool title could create confusion in the community and disturb the peace at Hwakpo.
*Committee cites gazette and chieftaincy law*
In its ruling, the Judicial Committee examined documentary evidence including a Ghana Gazette extract from the National Register of Chiefs confirming the recognition of Nene Dzikunu Ackwerh III as a sub-chief of Hwakpo.
The committee referenced Section 59(8) of the Chieftaincy Act, which states that entries in the National Register of Chiefs serve as prima facie evidence of the existence of facts recorded in the register.
It also noted that although the names “Isaac Buertey Puplampu” and “Hakpo Adi Buertey Puplampu” had sometimes been used interchangeably during earlier proceedings, this did not alter the title under which the suit had been filed.
Supreme Court precedent cited
The Judicial Committee further relied on the Supreme Court decision in Yeboah Kodie Asare & Another v Addai & Others, which affirmed that two persons cannot occupy the same stool in the same town at the same time.
The committee warned that granting Puplampu’s request would effectively endorse two chiefs for the Hwakpo stool and could lead to chaos and confusion in the community.
*Application refused*
The Judicial Committee therefore ruled that the title of the suit as originally filed at the Ada Traditional Council — and reflected in the Notice of Appeal and Record of Appeal — must remain unchanged until the substantive appeal is determined.
Puplampu’s application to amend his name to include the stool title “Nene Hakpo Adi Buertey Puplampu IV” was consequently refused.
The substantive appeal in the Hwakpo chieftaincy dispute remains pending before the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.
