Hello and a warm welcome to the second edition of our profile of Sayerr Jobe, the man accredited with the foundation of the economic hub of the country -Serekunda. In our last edition, we highlighted the origin of Sayer Jobe, what led to his departure from home and how he came to establish the settlement of Serrekunda.

 In this edition, we shall be exploring more of his roots with particular emphasis on the Wollof Empire, the social and political organisation of his birth place -Koki and the Kingdom of Kayor in general, as well as his demise.  However, before we proceed, we wish to correct an error in our previous edition. In that edition, we noted that Sayerr Jobe married one of the daughters of the King of Kombo; it should have been the reverse. It was the king of Kombo who married one of the daughters of Sayerr Jobe

Roots
As reported in our first edition, Sayerr Jobe according to family sources hailed from the village of Koki, in the kingdom of Kayor in the northern region of present day Senegal. His family heritage is tied to the Wolof kinfolk.  Wolof history probably dates to about the 12th or 13th century.

Wolof forefathers migrated west to the coast from Mali following the defeat of the Empire of  Ghana in the 11th Century. Oral family histories indicate that at least some of the first settlers in the area were of Fulbe origin.

Much Wolof history has been preserved in oral praise songs which are recited by griots.  Portuguese traveler accounts from the 15th century indicate an organised Wolof presence in what is still their homeland. Europeans established a fort on Gorée Island off the coast of modern day Dakar, which served as one of the primary points of departure for slaving vessels bound for the Americas.

Since European contact Wolof history has undergone numerous conquests and revolts as competing rulers challenged one another for kingship. This battle for kingship was what changed the destiny of Sayer Jobe. (Details see previous edition).

The climate of the Wolof area varies greatly from north to south. The north is nearly desert-like, while the southern region is a tropical rain forest. The crops grown in each area reflect the climate of that zone. Staple crops are sorghum and millet. Tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, and beans are also grown.

Fish is very important, and rice is a staple of urban Wolof diets. Until the late 19th century, Wolof rulers played a key part in the slave trade, directing slave raids and selling captured individuals from inland peoples to the Europeans on the coast. According to family sources, the village of Sayerr Jobe-Koki was a semi-desert and this made agriculture their chief occupation. The Jobe family in spite being part of the royal class was also not left out in this trade.

Sayerr Jobe and the other sons of the kinship after regular morning prayers and other royal assignments found pleasure on the farm. Sources asserted that just like the entire African continent at the time, agriculture was a rewarding enterprise. The royal Jobe family despite the harsh climatic conditions of Koki often produced enough on the farm to satisfy consumption needs of the family all year round.

The Jobes pride themselves with the complex and sophisticated social and political structure of the Wolof. These structures are embedded in the organisation of the Wolof Empire.  It is imperative here that we take a brief look at this empire for a better understanding of the organisational structure of Koki, our unit of focus.

The Wolof Empire
Historical records have it that the Wolof Empire emerged soon after 300 AD in the Senegambia Valley between the Gambia and Senegal rivers.  To the north east it was bounded by the semi-desert ferlo, beyond which was Futa Toro. To the east it was bounded by the states which came under the rule of the Manding. And finally to the south lay the Gambia River.

It is thought the Wollof people originated from the Sahara before it became hostile to farming due to desertification. As the environment deteriorated some of them drifted into the Senegalese areas of Futa Toro and modern-day south eastern Mauritania. With the Arab conquests of around 640 AD they were forced to move into north and east Senegal where over time villages developed into autonomous states such as Baol, Kayor, Saloum, Dimar, Walo and Sine the overall ruling state being that of Jolof who came together voluntarily to form the Empire Empire.

Legend has it that in Walo the fishermen from several villages argued vehemently over firewood which lay along the edge of a lake at Mengen. Just before matters developed into violence a mysterious person called Ndyadyane Ndyaye (Njanjan Njie) arose from the lake and shared out the firewood fairly among the men and promptly vanished much to their bafflement.

The decision was made to try and catch him so they feigned another argument and when he appeared he was caught. When Mansa Wali Jon the ruler of Sine, who was himself endowed with supernatural powers, heard about the strange goings on in Mengen he shouted "Ndyadyane Ndyaye" which is an expression of utter amazement. This name was given to the strange visitor (actual name: Amadu Bubakar Ibn Muhammed).

He became the first ruler of the new empire with the title Burba Jolof and other states voluntarily pledged allegiance to him. Thus the new empire arose around 300 AD in the Senegambia valley which stretched from the Gambia River and encompassed most of modern-day Senegal.

 By the end of the 15th century, the Wolof states of Jolof, Kayor, Baol and Walo had become united in a federation with Jolof as the metropolitan power. The position of king was held by the Burba Wolof and the rulers of the other component states owed loyalty to him while being allowed local sovereignty in internal state matters.

Saloum and Sine were later brought within the union. Before they became involved in trading with the Portuguese merchants on the coast, the Wolof people enjoyed the benefits of long established trading and cultural ties with the Western Sudanese empires and had also benefited from trading with Futa Toro and the Berbers from North Africa. Through these early trading links and organization the Wolof states grew wealthy and had formidable strength.

Emergence of Kayor
Starting in the 1440's Portuguese soldiers and seamen garrisoned the small island of Arguin, on the northerly coast of Mauritania and raided the Senegambian mainland for captives whom they took back to Portugal and sold as slaves. By the 1450's, however, this form of kidnapping gradually developed into regular trade between the trade representatives of Burba Wolof and his petty state rulers and the Portuguese sea captains. The kings of the various Wolof states proved eager to exchange captives for European goods such as textiles, firearms, metal items and cotton.

Kayor state benefited greatly from this trade because it bordered the coast and included the lands around Cape Verde where the Portuguese set up their initial trading links with the Wollof. This geographical advantage gave the prominent men of Kayor commercial advantages which made them powerful and gave them the desire to be independent of Jolof's hegemony over them. In around 1556 the nobility of Kayor rebelled against the Burba Jolof and gained its independence. The new royal title of the king of Kayor was Damel. Emboldened by this success the Damel of Kayor invaded and conquered the neighbouring state of Baol. To cap it all Kayor later defeated the Jolof army and their Burba leader.

Decline and Fall
As a result of this new state of affairs the prosperity of Wolof declined due to the fact that its contact with the European traders was severed by Kayor. However, because the Damels of Cayor late proved incapable of building a cohesive and strong empire of their own they were repeatedly attacked by the northern Mauritanian Berbers. Such battles and wars continued between the noble rulers of the Wolof states until the late 19th century when they were eventually subdued by the French colonials.

Sayerr Jobe and the Koki nobility
It is from this rich history that the Jobe family finds pride in. The complex civilization of the kinsfolk, their advanced political organisation which earned them a kingdom and early entrance in commerce are all points of reflection for dependents of Sayerr Jobe. What even top it that Kayor was the first Wolof state to rise against French imperialism. ‘fi you go back to history, you would realize that the Sayerr Jobe came from a background with rich history. The wolof had long made their mark in the Senegambia region. In fact we were the first to fight against French colonialism. This makes us proud as a people’, said a great grand son of Sayerr Jobe.

According to family sources, the birth place of Sayerr Jobe-Koki was a flat and dusty community as the region was engulfed by desert features. The inhabitants of the community lived in large compounds enclosed by a fence. The houses were often made from mud and thatched with grass or palm leaves.  The family relations including that of the Jobe nobility was built fundamentally upon mother’s lineage. It was the mother's lineage, which provides the flesh, the character, the intelligence and magic power, that to a large extent shaped the society.  

Within the Jobe clan, the heads of households made the major decisions for the family, but usually do so in consultation with peers and family members. Anyone who was not yet married was considered a "youth" and not capable of making important life decisions. They were also renowned marabouts with deep knowledge of Islamic spiritualism. Sources revealed that when a difficult decision must be made, the family themselves perform a spiritual exercise or consult a marabout to give advice on how the decision should be made. The marabout is believed to have the power to discern if the conditions in the unseen, spiritual world are favorable for the inquirer. If they are not favorable, the proper ritual or act will be prescribed in order to manipulate the unseen world to be favorably disposed toward the inquirer.

Rise to fame
History is made up of actions. Sayerr Jobe’s rise to being a prominent figure in Gambian history, started from his bold initiative to leave Koki to establish a settlement of his own; a journey which brought him to the Gambia valley, thus establishing the settlement of Serrekunda.  When he left Koki because of power struggle, he migrated westwards via Dakar toward the Kaolack end before moving into The Gambia valley through Nuimi and eventually settled in Serekunda under the guidance of the Cham, aborigines of Sabiji.

This migration route made the Jobe scattered across this vast area of land  and until today, the Jobe command a great degree of authority in the region as they have established themselves as mighty spiritual leaders and traders.

In The Gambia, Sayerr Jobe first settled in Nuimi. There he met another Jobe family who persuaded him to settle but legend have it that he had no intention to say in Nuimi. When he crossed the river, he settled in Banjul before founding refuge in the hands of the Chams and eventually establishing the prosperous community of Serekunda. He established himself as a settlement builder and a prosperous merchant.  (Details see previous edition).

The end
The expansion of the community of Serekunda came with age. Sayer Jobe according to family sources had seven sons. As these sons entered manhood, age had already taken its toll on the old man. He delegated his responsibilities to the sons and in later years these sons moved out of the family compound individually to establish their own legacy elsewhere. In Jobe died in 1896.

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