By Stanley Azuakola

The stories left behind in communities across the country which have been visited by the deadly unrelenting floods have been tales of grief and woe. There was one such sad story in Umudara village in Ihite community of Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State this week.

A 16-year-old girl, Edith Afugwuobi and her mother, Mrs. Afugwuobi, had gone in a canoe to their farm in the company of three others, in an attempt to recover some cassava from their farm which had been submerged by water.

However, the boat capsized and both mother and daughter were drowned, while the three other persons in the boat survived. Youths of the community recovered the bodies of the duo on Wednesday.

The girl, Edith, was said to be a student of the First Foundation Secondary School, Umudara, Ihiala while her mother was a farmer.

Altogether, over ten people have reportedly lost their lives in the floods which have badly affected five villages in Ihite including, Umudara, Umuezeawala, Umuduru Oru, Amaduru and Umuadika. Residents have called on both the state and federal governments to come to their aid.

”We are appealing to government to come to our aid. Since the flood disaster in Anambra State, started, focus had been on Ogbaru, Anambra West and Anambra East Local Governments, while we have been suffering the same plight. We have no food;  no water because our water had been polluted just as we have no roads because they have been submerged,” said a resident.

Sadly, most farmers in the area have also lost all their crops to the floods. So distraught on Thursday, was one of the farmers who lost all his belongings including farms that he attempted to commit suicide. He was however restrained by other residents from taking his life.