Fye, you are right on omoro being the same as Omar. I also spoke to a senior relative and he too said the same. However, he also confirmed the omoro pronouncation as distinctive for nowhere in Nuimi is omar pronounced as omoro apart from Sika.

 

You said your family home is Samateh Kunda in Albreda, that tells him that you are related to Dodou Sonko for his mum , Manta Samateh, is from that compound. I also remember the late Tonto Samateh who was a frequent visitor to our home in Kombo.

 

Coming to the other side of your family in Albreda, the Jattas, I can name the following;

 

1. Ba Lasana Jatta

2. Ma Ebou Jatta

3. kebba Jatta [Former NCP Candidate]

4. Duwa Jatta

5. Kawsu Jatta

6. Fabakary Tombong Jatta [ Majority Leader]

 

Ok I better stop here before you start thinking I am from Nuimi. I am from somewhere else.

 

Thanks

 

Daffeh

 

On 31 May 2011 21:28, Fye samateh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Well said Daffeh..But honestly i know what am telling you and for your info i have just spoken to L.O's son he named after his father Pa. Omar  Sonko in Germany and he confirms my story about his father....However you seems to know niumi well so no reason to ague with you on names and events of the Sonkos..Do you know Dodou Sonko well ? I rest my case..

Imokende

Niamorkono.

On Tue, May 31, 2011 at 8:45 PM, UDP United Kingdom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Fye, When Landing Omoro Sonko lost the throne, it was temporarily given to Suntou Sawo of Nuimi Lamin pending election which Dodou Sonko won. When Dodou was de-throned by the APRC, he was given the opportunity to choose his own successor and he chose Bakebba Sonko of Sika but Bakebba's reign was brief [less than one year] because the APRC were later uncomfortable of the fact that he is related to Landing Jallow Sonko. This is why they [aprc] took the throne from him and gave it to Queen Lamin Jammeh of Sitanunku.

 

If you meant there was no ceremonial crowning for Bakebba, Seyfu Toolo, then yes, you are right in that respect  and that is due to his reign been breif to accomodate the grand ceremony of Seyfu Toolo. However, he did serve as Chief and with authority.

 

Also, the name 'Omoro'  in Sika is not the same as Omar. Omoro is akin to Famoro in Sika. This is a distinct name there. Landing Omoro Sonko is the father of Bolong L. Sonko, former AFPRC Foreign Minister.

 

This is the records straight for you and please let us not get into 'I know the families'

 

Thanks

 

Daffeh

On 31 May 2011 18:53, Fye samateh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Please let me put the records straight...Bakebba Sonko has never been crowned a Chief in Sika after ( L O ) because i know both the Sonko families in Sika and Lamin...

Landing .O. Sonko ( L O ) was the last Chief from Sika after his father Omar Sonko died. Infact he worked for the treasury after graduating from Armitage and since he was the eldest son to his father he has to take the throne which lasted for many years,But due to political reasons he lost the throne to Dodou Sonko and after the military coup in 1994 Jammeh in Sitanunku was crowned chief of upper niumi...I hope the Sonkos and historians from Niumi will agree with me...However i think Omoro,Omar and Amoro are almost the same names but with different pronunciations. 

Respect

Niamorkono

On Tue, May 31, 2011 at 4:05 PM, UDP United Kingdom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Actually, the last chief from Sika was Bakebba Sonko. He replaced Dodou Sonko of Nuimi Lamin.

 

The mansaya used to be rotational in Nuimi between three different royal households, the sonkos from Berending, the sonkos from Essau and the Jammeh's from Sitanunku. Mansa Demba was from Berending while his successor, Mansa Burunie Sonko was from Essau. The sonkos of Sika are from the  sonko family of Essau and therefore part of the hereditary linage. Landing Omoro Sonko [not Landing Omar Sonko], affectionately known as LO, took the throne from his father, Omoro Sonko, who retired after his son, landing,  graduated from Armitage High School. Apparently he was among the first graduates of Armitage

 

After Koli Jammeh's [sitanunku] reign, the sonkos continue to dominate the scene even after Nuimi was divided into two upper Nuimi and lower nuimi, for administrative reasons.

 

Thanks

 

On 31 May 2011 01:11, Fye samateh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Thanks for sharing Suntou...But will you agree Africans could have written and understand their history better with oral narrations than what we are still learning from the white man..By the way i am a Niuminka though i was born in Niamina Dankunku due to my father's business relations in the MID and Upper River..But both my parents were born in Albadarr (Albreda ) from the Samatehs and the Jattas...

However the last Sonko chief from SIKA for upper niumi was Landing Omar Sonko ( L O ) But what i heard from another narrative the Mansaya was given to them during the Islamic revolution but not by inheritance...Do you know any thing about that ?

Abaraka imokende

Niamorkono

On Mon, May 30, 2011 at 2:23 PM, suntou touray <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

The Twelve Queens of Niumi

By Suntou Touray (Oral narration by Finna Camara)
Oral historians and bards salute the twelve queens of Niumi from the ancient past. Niumi lies at the coastal point of the present day Gambia. The Sonkos who emigrated from the Kaabu Empire settled largely in Niumi.
The Sonko dynasty at some point had only Queens that succeeded each other, that is until love changes the tradition. The names of the Twelve Queens are not all recounted by the bards’, however, the number is not disputed by many oral commentators.
The names frequently mentioned of the Queens are:
Mama Adama Sonko
Calama Koi Sonko
Nyanpuran Jan Sonko
Sajike Sonko
Sawuya Nding Sonko
The rest of the Queens are relics of history, all efforts will be made to try to find out who they are.
The tradition to make women reign came to an end when the beautiful and most lust after Queen Mama Adama couldn’t find a suitable suitor. She was reigning unmarried for some time. The women league went into full gear in helping the Queen find a match, a Princely male. (An African hunter in the photo)
One day, a hunter who frequents the river by Berending (a settlement) was spotted by local women doing their laundry. One of them immediately suggests that, they should inform the Queen about the man. Hamadadou Seckan is very handsome, tall and strongly built. The adoring women only wished him for the Queen.
On return to the Village, they went straight to the Queen. The characteristics of the Hunter were recounted to the attentive Mama Adama. She without hesitation knew, the women folk at last found her a potential match, a suitable man.
However, Hamadadou Seckan (Mansa Demba Sonko) belongs to the old tradition of hunters’ secrecy and dress code. This is what makes the story so intriguing. Hunters in the past wore strange clothes, woven with horns, talisman, red ink, animal bones, cowry cells etc. In short, they look fearful.
With all the uncanny attire, the towns’ women knew the hunter is a handsome reveals that, women can tell a lot about men than they pretend to admit.
The Queen instructed the women to be on the lookout for the Hunter. “Should he appear, tell him to come and see me”. The women went again to the river for their usual laundry. Again the Hunter arrives at his usual midday time. He usually collects water for his dogs, whilst he quenches his own taste.
The women stood back and call out “Baba Nyima” Handsome man, “our Queen wish to see you”. Hamadodou Seckan (Mansa Demba) told them, “but you know that, the way I am dress, I cannot go into town this way”. Hunters enter their houses through the back door.
The women again informed the Queen that, the hunter came but decline to visit because he was in traditional attire, he cannot violate that routine and enter the village the way he is dress. The Queen thinking on her feet rose up. She thundered that, “tell the hunter to wear whatever clothes you have that is not yet wet, and come to see me, it is a command”.
The third time, the ladies were desperately waiting for the hunter. As soon as he surfaced, he was confronted with spear clothes to wear. As soon they told him you must see the Queen today, he gave them the usual excuses. They informed him that, he put on the unwashed clothes to see the Queen. To this suggestion, Hamadadou obliged.
Love Conquers
The fully dressed Hamadadou approached the village of Berending with the women. As soon as they arrived at the throne of Mama Adama Sonko, she stood up. She was mesmerised by the beauty of Hamadadou. She instructed him to seat on her throne. He declined. However, Mama Adama demonstrated her love by instructing, her largess to beat the Tabalalo (special Drum, an announcer).
The Drum is only sounded on special occasions or in emergency situations. When the villagers heard the drum, they went straight to the Queen. There she was, beautiful, elegant and majestic with a broad smile. The elders enquire what the matter is. Mama Adama with a broad smile says “I have given myself and throne to this man; this is the man I love and wish to spend the rest of life with”.
Hamadadou Seckan was Coroneted, Mansa Demba Sonko. His last name was replaced to that of the Queen and he became the King of Niumi who contracted the Kaabu warrior, the wandering Kelefa Sanneh to bring under the rule of Niumi the settlement of Barriar. Kelefa Sanneh was eventually betrayed by Mansa Demba himself after the fall of Barriar. Mansa Demba feared that, Barrair has been a strong antagonist of Niumi Berending. He couldn’t conquer the town.
His fears were that, in the retelling of the battle of Barrair, the Sonkos of Niumi will not be narrated, because they relied on the bravery of a wandering Jawaro (warlord). Kelefa was ambushed by his own host unexpectedly and killed. Some historians believe that, all this event took place around the 1820s to 1840s.
‘Bimuso, muso kajelefe ila korokan, yeba nghee suutele,yaba batonkolon’
Fena Camara is a bard from Sinbanding in Cassamance, his younger brother is the eloquent poet/historian Yahya Camara base in Dakar.

Posted by SUNTOU TOURAY at 02:23

--
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com

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