FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nioro Jattaba
- What is Nioro?
- Why is it usually called Nioro Jattaba?
- When did Nioro settle in the Gambia
- Who is the first Alkalo of Nioro?
- What do people of Nioro do for living?
- What is Dator?
- Is Dator the same as Kabada
alkalol
Bubacarr Sowe
kibarugisarre
Nioro Kabada 
How about pulagu
great as well,lets get the ideas.Then we can choose the most suitable one
The reason for the name Nioro Jattaba is that when parents could no longer stand the pressure from farmers around Nioro, (near Kwinella) they approached the chief of Bateling to move to that side of Kiang. when chief accepted, a particular site was an issue as our place of choice was not available to us from Sankandi and for what ever reason, the people of Jattaba accepted us to settle in their part of Kabada and our elders reciprocate with the name Niorro Jattaba, nioro being our village name already (i Do not know why) and Jattaba being our host name in Kiang west.
Kabadaa is a mandinka phrase meaning Kabaa (Lamudhe) mouth as in mouth of the river Gambia. what is now kabaadaa use to be of a thick forest of so much Kabaa
My source is Jaloyee who was young but present
This is good piece that brought the idea of Kwinella. Did they actually stayed near Kwinella? maybe the name of the Chief is known can we get his name? The timeline seem to be changing for if they settled in Jattaba in 1950 they must have come earlier near Kwinella for negotiation of the land in Jattaba. Hmmm our people were in the Gambia much earlier – good men!!!!
With the name Kabada what is your take on the name being ‘Kabayee Dahaa’ the people with ink bottle for quranic and marabout purposes?
I am sure your source is very credible enough thanks for getting that far! We would like Jalowyeh (I don’t what name is should call ba or uncle or mama) can also tell us when the Gamtel game in Nioro for our ‘Important Events’ page.
Alkalo
Uncle Alasan & Alpha,
Thank you for the information you are providing.You are doing a great job.Just as Alpha mentioned about the ‘ink bottle’ name, could you see if that is also a possibility.I know Uncle Karamo’s (Jallowyeh) version is reliable but we just want more facts as possible in order to get a better result.
yeah the ink bottle, this is the third time i heard of it, none could convince me. none could answer which one is older ”kabada, dator or torodos settling in the area” kabada became the best choice for the torodos cos its bushy and we were bush people with bush animals (cow). we needed bush. Another meaning i have heard before and recently when i gave lift to Sheriff Delam from Kerewan is another mandinka phrase ” kaba Lah daakaa” referring to Foday Kaka Dumbuya’s sanctuary.
I was going to ask Baa Bulli and Kaw Sutteh on thursday Sept 8 2011, there was just no time as it was late and had to drive back in the rain and tough gravel road and it was already magrib.
is kabada older than dator or even senoba? we must find out
Alikaloship in Nioro Jattaba
Several Stages of leadership transition have taken place among the people of Nioro when they migrate from “Nioro Fransi” in Senegal to Nioro Jattaba located between the villages of Sankandi and Jattaba in Kiang.
Bajabel Bah, one of the founding fathers of the village maintained the Alikaloship, a position he held far before the “Nioronkas” (people of Nioro) chosed to migrate to Nioro Jattaba making him the first Alikalo among them to serve in the most engaging environment in Gambian politics.
When he passed away some years later, Kebba Adam Bah alias Bakebba who was his favorite successor among his sons returned the “Tax Book” to Darboe Bah better known as Badaboe another member of the founding fathers to choose a successor. Bakebba said he couldn’t take up the job due to his engagements on the farms, family matters and business.
Badarboe called Momodou Isata Bah also called BaSawaye Astay who was his eldest son to consider handling the position but he was also not interested. Basawaye gave a similar excuse with that of Bakebba and further went ahead to suggest for Badaboe to entrust the Alikaloship to Badataru Bah. According to Basawaye, Badataru was a right candidate to take over from Bademba. “He is well respected and feared by the women and the Mandinka neighbourhood”, he convinced Badarboe.
Badarboe finally handed the “Tax Book” to Badataru who in the long run delegated responsibilities to BaAmadou Bah, one of his sons. After the demise of Badataru, Ba Amadou returned the Alkaloship to Basawaye.
Basawaye was still not interested in leadership. He inturn entrusted the Alikaloship to Alhagie Ebrima Bah popularly known as Alhagie Kemo, the current Alikalo of Nioro. He delegates several functions to Alieu Bah, his junior brother.
Author Ebrima Bah (Efa)
NB: Some facts in the story are collected from Audio Achieves (interviews) kept by Ebrima Sey or Ebrima Padoh.
more on that visit my blog http://kibarugisarre.wordpress.com/
Great news story, There use to be Jom sareh usually the oldest, an alkali the most suitable and an imam the most knowledgeable in islam. Ba jabel was the oldest and naturally the first Jom sare, Baa Darboe was the first alkali and he became Jom sare also by virtue of being the eldest on Baa Jabels demise Baa Demba was the second Alkali but he was not interested and handed over alkaliship to Baa Musa (Badataru) I am not sure if Baa Chanado is the first imam, he is the first sowe kunda imam. Baa Musa became Jom sare also on the demise of Baa Darboe.No one ever raise the issue of double position with Baa Darboe and he kept both. position until his demise.
on his demise, Baa musa also took over as Baa darboe did also keeping both positions. we went back to the old system broken by Ba Darboe and thats how Baa sambeh become Jom sare and Baa Alhagi kemo becomes Alkali. on basambehs demise Baa Alpha took over as Jomsare being the eldest and the last among the fathers.
on Baa Alphas demise, Baa sawaye took over as the eldest among the sons, I understand he in fact suggested Gorgo Kaddy before accepting it. Gorgo Kaddy is the only living son or daughter of Mam Chana the founder of Nioro, the one Baa Jabel took over from in Nioro franci. Baa sawaye is the one who restored the old system by refusing to take the Jom sare and sugesting Ba sambeh for jom sare and Alh. Ebrima for Alkali. on Baa sambes demise, Baa Alpha took over being the only father left even though baa sawaye was older. Baa sawaye then took over from Baa Alpha, in fact he suggested Gorgo Kaddy before accepting the Jom sare,
Baa sawaye also broke the imam-ship rule by following linage/age instead of most knowledgeable and gave imam position to the present after Baa tam. Baa tam took over from Baa chanado
Also Ba kebba adam was not a biological son to Baa darboe, his father is Baa demba and also because of his special discipline, at one point during Baa musa’s Alkali-ship, some people wanted to take the alkali position from ba muasa and give it ti him, he refuse to take it. that one i was present when he came to Baa sambe for consultation before making a response.
What is Nioro? Nioro is from the Arabic word nur meaning light
Alasan, I entirely agree with you and i will like to modify the statement “Bajabel Bah, one of the founding fathers of the village maintained the Alikaloship, a position he held far before the “Nioronkas” (people of Nioro) chosed to migrate to Nioro Jattaba making him the first Alikalo among them to serve in the most engaging environment in Gambian politics”…… as in my story (Alikaloship in Nioro Jattaba) above.
After consulting my sources…… i want to replace the name Bajabel with Bademba as follows.
Instead of Bajabel Bah…. it should read “Bademba Bah, one of the founding fathers of the village maintained the Alikaloship, a position he held far before the “Nioronkas” (people of Nioro) chosed to migrate to Nioro Jattaba making him the first Alikalo among them to serve in the most engaging environment in Gambian politics”.
thanks for your observation!!
Ebrima
Who were the peoples selected to go on peace keeping at Borma in Nioro
jattaba? and those peoples selected were they fortunate to join the peace
keepers in Borma, which year it happen?
Alhagie, the Burma story relative to Nioro needs to be further explored – It is very unclear whether Nioro people actually participated in this war. I agree with you to find out as you stated. When was this war? Who were involved in the war and how far was their involvement as well as the reaction of Nioro and the wider Kabada if possible.
The Second World War (1941-45) raised other questions if this was in the present Nioro Jattaba or Nioro France given that the present Nioro is believed to have been founded in 1950. – thanks for raising this up
Yea thank you i believe what you said,because the vilage was set up in
1950 while the war happen in 1939 to 45.
The next question i have is that,i use to heard from peoples at the
village that nioro jattaba once fought with madina farance.What exactly
was the cause of the fighting,and who were the worriors of our village by then,and also the year it happen?how does the problems ended?
lets create a tread for these questions – maybe you should volunteer ( I am kindly asking you) to do some research about the Burma war veterans from Nioro then we can get answers on the Nioro and Medina conflicts. Most of us can remember that, it happened sometimes in the early 80s. Thank you for probing these things up!
Ok i will consult my agent at the village to make some domestic research for me
on those issues,because i deem it necessary to know how it happen, and who were involed in it,and
also it can equally contribute to the history of the village for the sake of this website,for both present and
future refrence.
the Nioro Madina Franci figth was cause by a woman musician Suna Njati during the marriage ceremony of late Musa Hataye and Jewo Hawo. Suna gave new five dalasi notes to the madina boys/youths and ask them to pretend to be giving her (Njenari) when the open saw is heated so that the Nioro boys will take revenge and also give out, because she taught that was the only way she can get the Nioronkas to give out (she term us then as misers). That strategy did not work and they started provoking us, giving out five dalasi notes and saying this is no bush yam money, indicating we earn only by digging bush yam and selling it on the high way. on that very day there was no fight but there was near fight. some days later the late Baa Samba Jarju went to madina to collect a cow meant for Kebayeh’s marriage ceremony and was beaten by the people of madina franci on his way back and they brought along some one from jallow kunda when they were coming to the ceremony to assist them in case of a fight. we were not going to fight, but this guy from jallow kunda was over speeding with his bicycle on the road provoking and samba hawo could not stand it and he hold the carrier of the bike from behind and throw both the bicycle and the man in the gutter near Baa silaye’s compound. the problem was resolve by elders of Njamakuta after the elders of madina and buduk failed to get it resolve
thanks alots Ba- Alassan for seizing time to compile that wanderful information for the benefit of those who wanted to know the story.
You are really an expert and a historian in the history of Nioro Jattaba keep it up.