James T. Phillips Jr. (died 22 April 1980) was a

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...

n politician. Phillips served as secretary for agriculture and commerce in the national government 1968-1971. Following the split of the government ministerial portfolio into two with the arrival of

William R. Tolbert Jr. William Richard Tolbert Jr. (13 May 1913 – 12 April 1980) was a Liberian politician who served as the 20th president of Liberia from 1971 until 1980. Tolbert was an Americo-Liberian and trained as a civil servant before entering the House ...

to the presidency, Phillips served as minister of agriculture between 1971 and 1976. He then served as minister of finance between 1976 and 1979. Philipps was one of the more reform-oriented ministers in the Tolbert government. He resigned from his ministerial post over a controversy on disappeared funds allocated to a floating intended to be used for the 1979

Organization of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; french: Organisation de l'unité africaine, OUA) was an intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. One of the main heads for OAU's ...

summit. Shortly thereafter, in the wake of the

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

that brought down the Tolbert government, Phillips and 12 other officials of the former government were executed by soldiers at the beach behind the Barclay Training Center on 22 April 1980.''Washington Post''.
Liberian Soldiers Taunt, Shoot 13 Former Leaders
'''The Perspective''.

'''Frontpage Africa''.
Liberia: South Beach Still Haunted by Execution of 13 Former Officials of Tolbert Government
'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, James T 1980 deaths Ministers of finance of Liberia Agriculture ministers People executed by Liberia by firing squad 20th-century Liberian politicians