Ex Paramount Chief Bakary Santang Bojang
Ex Paramount Chief Bakary Santang Bojang
My Father is the head of the huge Bojang Family living mainly in the area around Brikama Suma Kunda and a well known landowner and farmer. In our beautiful country The Gambia, families play the very main role in life, leading such a big family alone makes you a king.
Being married to three wifes the Seyfo gave life to more than fourty children and gathered many more families and children to his own and gave them a place on this world to live and prosper.
Prosperity in Africa means food first of all and the whole family-owned enterprise manages to operate a mid-sized agricultural business, producing tons of ground-nuts, mangos, avocados, cashews, corn and many more. The land which is occupied by our family gives room for wild life and nature, but also to thousands of cows, many goats and one donkey.
Besides farming, the Seyfo also grew various other businesses from his ground like Lodges, Hotels or Restaurants, always caring for the needs of his people and environment.
Having spiritual roots and knowing the drive of modern societies and western culture, the Seyfo always put effort in cultivating eco-resorts to keep a balance between nature and man.
- New York Times | About eco-resorts | By ELINOR BURKETT | Pub. September 23rd, 2007
“When James and Lawrence arrived, I thought they were crazy,” Bakary Santang Bojang, chief of Gambia’s Kombo Central District, told me over dinner. Bojang’s jurisdiction includes the area of Makasutu along with 48 villages. “These two guys were living in a tent for seven years and talking about how much eco-tourism could do for us. For me, eco-tourism was a foreign concept.”
Now Bojang says he realizes how devastating the destruction of the forest can be, and what can be done to stop it. “But it’s only a first step,” he said. “Development isn’t just about the environment. It’s about the Gambian people.”
- The Point | About eco-resorts | By Pa Modou B.O Bojang | Published November 8th, 2006
Ballabu Wildlife Conservation launched
Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Chief of Kombo Central, Bakary Santang Bojang, expressed satisfaction and appreciation for what he called the sterling efforts of Makasutu Wildlife Trust in promoting eco-tourism and, by extension, improving the quality of life for the people of the areas through the trust.
He therefore thanked the initiator of the project, Mr James English, for his foresight and enthusiasm in initiating and running the project. He pointed out that the trust has also gone a long way in fostering link among villages in the area.
Over the many years where the Seyfo established his family and made the Bojang family stronger every year. He learned to be just and wise through having to make decisions for the many souls in our family every day. It is only natural, such a man would be a perfect manning in the fields of security and justice for many people.
Having traveled over the world the Seyfo attended several professional courses at places like Hendon College (UK), Branshilly Police College (UK), Wakefield Police College (UK), Bundeskriminalkademie (Wiesbaden | Germany) and the CAIRO Police Academy (Egypt).
Seyfo Bakary Santang Bojang
The Seyfo also held other responsibilites in positions as:
- Member of The Gambia Constitutional Review in 1994
- Member of The Judical Service Commission
- Member of The Gambia Police Council
- President of The Gambia Western Region Group Tribal Court
After many years in position of Govermental Security Officer for The Gambia, the Seyfo retired from the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police in 1992, being elected to take over the responsibilty from his father as Ex District Paramount Chief of Kombo Western Division (formerly Kombo Central).
Senegambia late 19th century.
The history of The Gambia tells us, that the definition of these contemporary divisions of The Gambia derives from British Colonisation and it´s Establishment, but in older maps like in the one shown above, you get a vague picture of the vivid history my people and my land have gone through.
The current title -Paramount Seyfo – would mean king in english words.
In our language, in Mandingo, the word for such a king position is Seyfo, which would originally translate to Local Chief – chief of the Western Division of contemporary The Gambia.
The Gambia political today.
I respect and admire my father as a man, leader and multiple manager and I am grateful to have learned so much from his doings and teachings. When my time is on, I will proudly take over his responsibilities and will continue to prosper the family of all SeneGambian people – with the help of god!
Legend
Seyfo = Chief, King
Dembo (nickname for spiritual leader) = Bakary Santang
Paramount Seyfo = One of six kings for each division in the Gambia (see political map above)
Combo or Kombo = Old former kingdom in the western part of The Gambia (Bojang heritage)
Western Division = Area containing large parts of the former Combo empire
Greater Banjul = Area formerly affiliated to the Combo empire
Western + Greater Banjul = Vast majority in The Gambia´ s GDP and population