This could be a sign of secession efforts to come.

The two nations have feuded heatedly over Cyprus since Turkey invaded in 1974, and tensions were aggravated in 1983 when Turkey gave its backing to a secession effort by one part of the island.

Any proposal would need to be approved by the New York State Legislature, which has refuted all previous secession efforts, and the United States Congress.

Previous secession efforts elsewhere have failed over that requirement; among them is an effort in Los Angeles County five years ago that was approved by the state board and then struck down by the courts.

However, the secession effort in Virginia is being closely watched by Anglicans around the world because so many churches are poised to depart simultaneously.

Still, the secession effort has left feelings of bitterness and resentment among those living in the rest of the Board 9 district.

"People didn't understand it last year and didn't take it seriously," said Andrew P. Jones, who heads the secession effort, "This year, we don't have to educate people from scratch."

They would have three options: to approve it, to end the secession process by disapproving it or to direct the commission to continue the secession effort but to develop a new charter proposal.

Gowon rightly calculated that the eastern minorities would not actively support the Igbos, given the prospect of having their own states if the secession effort were defeated.

Wilhelm also accused Raynor of supporting the disaffiliation effort only because he faced a difficult re-election bid, and of misusing union money and staff to support the secession effort.