By Chris Chikelue:
Anambra State Commissioner for Information Sir Paul Nwosu has urged young ones in the state to channel their inherent talents and abilities into profitable ventures that will announce them to the World.
The commissioner made this call when he welcomed a young artist Mr. Chinonso Dimsteve who was in his office at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka to present him – the commissioner- a portrait of him rendered in pencils.
Apparently Mr. Dimsteve was hired to produce the portrait by a Chief Information Officer in the Ministry, Mr. Emma Ikegwuani.
The commissioner praised the skills that was displayed by the artist and said that it was a great talent to have come from a youth in the state who rather than spend time hatching ignoble acts chose to carve a goodwill for himself by putting his talent into good use.
He said, “this is a kind of painting I have been hoping to have; I see a lot of them on display on the road sides.
“I really didn’t know that somebody has this talent in Anambra State; to be able to use pencils to replicate more like a photocopy of my passport photograph. I can tell you, this is the exact replica of myself.
“This guy’s talent is enormous and profound; he has a lot of places to go with the kind of exposure that I hope this interview will grant him’’.
Sir Nwosu added that renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh and others in the field of creative display started small just as Mr. Dimsteve has started and later became famous all over the World.
“I want to say to you Chukwunonso that the sky is the beginning for you and incidentally I hear he works with one of our Agencies, the Government Press; what a place to start, he is within the creative industry because government press is also for us a creative place, where we design and produce a final work.
“It is a training ground for him and I hope he spends his time in doing things like this because I know he stays all day working for government in the Government Press. The time that his mates use to go and smoke mkpulu mili that he will put his own to better use.’’
The commissioner, then, said that Mr. Dimsteve is an example of the youths in Anambra State who should put thier time into profitable means instead of joining kidnappers and people who extort money from people.
“A young man who has this kind of talent has no business joining bad gangs so I thank my Chief Information Officer who deemed it fit to pay for this and arrange that it be presented to me as a gift and I also thank him for recognizing that this young man has a talent to showcase.’’
Dimsteve while thanking the commissioner for his good wishes said that his inspirations has been his passion for Fine Arts.
“I used to look away from working with my talent but when I realised that it is what God gave to me to make a name for myself and to earn a living I began to practise it more and now I am proud that I did this portrait for the commissioner.
“The society today is all about creativity, all about moving forward and all about things you can see and you can create and not all about waiting for the government to do everything for you; you have to start doing things for yourself.’’
He advised youths of his age to use their God given talents to recreate the World and make it a better place to live in.
“If you have the talent to do music, craft and any other thing that can show your talents, do it. I am encouraging them to come out and create something that will fetch you money and good name.
“Everybody has potentials so I am encouraging them to find it and work with it.’’ (MOI)
