If a country lacks good governance and strong institutions, coupled with a well enforced rule of law and accountability, then having huge or vast natural resources is of no use because good use of a nation's raw materials requires strong financial systems, a stable political system and good legal framework to actually transform it into national wealth, because withiut those mechanisms the money realized will just magically disappear into the pockets of the elites and the rest of the population will be left in absolute poverty.
What you've said is just the truth, the utilizations of the communities resources and how it can benefit able to the nation by encouraging developments and job empowerments depends on the qualities of those in the government sectors and as well their missions in the governance.
Some of the community representatives don't make public services as their primary purposes of occupying a governing positions especially after spending so much money in their election's. They feels the citizens has sold or exchanged their rights with the peanuts to shared among hungry citizen's during their election campaign's to vote for them.
When the political or governing system is corrupted, it criples the communities economy and the source of their revenues will be treated like it's a personal owned by the corrupted leader's.