Corruption and the Utilization of 13% Oil Derivation Fund in Bayelsa State of Nigeria

Abstract

For a considerable period, the Niger Delta region and Bayelsa State in particular have been engulfed by violent conflicts and criminalities following different dimensions of agitations by the people for development and a fair and equitable share of the nation’s wealth largely sourced from crude oil resources in the area. However in contemporary times, there has  been a shift in the focus of the agitations from the above-mentioned demands  to that of prudent management of the resources, especially the 13% derivation fund (even though not enough) and other statutory allocations accruing to the state for developmental purposes. Consequently, this paper posits that for well over sixteen years of democratization in Nigeria, the political elite has not been able to pragmatically and strategically deploy Bayelsa state's share of the  13% derivation funds  for meaningful development and transformation of the lives of the citizenry. Furthermore, the paper identified  massive corruption as the major obstacle against the drive for development in Bayelsa State and recommends that the immunity clause for the office of the governor should be abolished in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; as this will instill a sense  of responsibility in the governors, check their financial  profligacy and thus serve as a catalyst in the transformation of the state.

Keywords: Conflict, Corruption, Development, Derivation Fund, Oil.