The Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos, Mayor Dele Oshinowo, has said Yoruba people will be the first to benefit from the New Market built by his administration.

According to Oshinowo, the New Market, formerly known as Mandela Market, which will soon be commissioned, was built with them in mind, being the local residents.

This was after an X user, @OmoYakubu1, wondered if the locals will not be “disenfranchised from ownership.”

In response, the LCDA chairman said, “We don’t do that over here! Locals first.”

Reacting, one @TheLochious asked, “And if the lazy locals are not willing to pay full payment for these shops, what happens?”

In response, Oshinowo rebuked the X user for his condescending word towards the locals.

He said, “Let’s set the record straight.

“At Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, we do not disenfranchise our people! we empower them. The Market project, like every other initiative under our administration, was designed first and foremost with our local residents in mind. When we say locals first, we mean our host community (the Yorubas) and those whose roots, livelihoods, and everyday lives are tied to this land and truly appreciates it. That’s not exclusion, that’s equity and it’s practiced all over the world.

“It is unacceptable and deeply insulting for anyone to refer to the good people of this LCDA as lazy or poor. Our people are resilient, hardworking, and resourceful, and it’s precisely because we believe in them that we continue to invest in infrastructure that brings dignity to daily life.

“Everyone, is welcome to grow and thrive here but you must never undermine the rights and pride of indigenous communities in the process. We won’t tolerate hate speech or a rewriting of the real issues.

*Let it be known: Agboyi-Ketu is for everyone, but especially for those who call it home.

“We’re proud of our people and we will always protect and prioritise their interest. Ire o!”